Three Delivery Cause and Effect
by crystalquirt
Summary: After a really disgusting altercation with Zoey at school, Sue is sick. Sid and Tobey go missing, Nana is who knows where and its up to Sue to save them, no matter what the risks are to her. Requested by Wolfiestar
1. Chapter 1

Cause and Effect 1

By Crystalquirt

After a really disgusting altercation with Zoey at school, Sue is sick. Sid and Tobey go missing, Nana is who knows where and its up to Sue to save them, no matter what the risks are to her.

This story was requested by Wolfiestar. However, she didn't request that I use Zoey and her pals, probably cause she knows I'm not fond OCs, [as a rule- XD]

But, because i think she will like it, I chose to put Zoey, Jenna, May, Ashley and Riley, from Wolfiestar's story Chinatown Witches in the story, and got permission from Star. I hope I do them justice. They are support characters, only there to make an impossible situation even worse.

I hope you enjoy this story, Star :D

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Zoey and her Band of Cretins

Sue was sick. Really, really sick and really hating every minute of it. She had some kind of 'creeping crud' attacking her body, that she caught at school from some girl named Zoey, and it had happened in the most disgusting way possible.

This whole mess started two days before Sue got sick. She was at school in her math class. Zoey, with her crew of misfits; Jenna, May, Ashley and Riley, showed up in class. They were not supposed to be in Sue's math class and they definitely were not Sue's friends, so they apparently showed up, just to do what they do best. Stir up trouble by picking on Sue and her classmates for no reason.

At least at first, they happened to be bothering other kids besides Sue for a change, but their actions soon involved Sue, whether she liked it or not.

The teacher, Mr. Benson, hadn't arrived yet, or he would have kicked them out for sure. About half the class was watching their antics, a few were even smiling. The others were involved in their own conversations. Sue was one of the students watching the girls closely, because she knew the kind of trouble they could cause and she wasn't smiling.

Zoey and Jenna had paired up to bother Richard, and he never bothered anyone. Jenna held him by his shirt from behind to make him stay in his seat, while Zoey went through his books and papers, tearing every other page of his notes in half. Three pages had already been torn up before Sue started across the classroom to help.

Even though Sue really disliked having anything to do with that bunch of girls, she wanted to help Richard, and knew she was the only one in class that would stand up to Zoey. She braced herself and stomped over to them, growling angrily, "Hey! Knock it off!"

Zoey put Richard's papers down to turn and face Sue, with an evil smile on her lips. Jenna let Richard go and he hurriedly gathered his stuff to leave. No one bothered him anymore; now their attention was on Sue watching her calmly help him put his books in his bag.

Richard was holding some of his papers in his hand while he gathered more and Zoey slapped his hand. The papers separated and fluttered to the floor around his desk. Sue bent down to grab them for him, glaring at Zoey. "Whoops, what a klutz, dropping his papers everywhere – you got somethin' to say, Yi?"

The question was not worth answering. Sue calmly helped Richard pick most of his papers up, before he just gave up and ran. He was scared of being beat up, but Richard was afraid Sue would be hurt too. He had been there another time when Sue ran into these girls. Sue drove them off, even five to one, but got a black eye doing it.

Sue was a little afraid too, but not afraid of being hurt. She was afraid she would have to break her promise to Nana about fighting at school. She had enough of these morons picking on her classmates and if she had to break her promise about fighting, she was ready to break it, and take whatever punishment Nana gave her.

Sue thought about Nana's punishment the whole time she helped Richard, but once he was out of the classroom, she directed all of her attention to the bullies. "Zoey! What are you tearing his papers up for? For that matter, what are you even doing here?"

"Because I can."

Sue rolled her eyes, "How ignorant you are. You can go jump off a bridge too. Why don't you?"

"Shut up Sue," Obviously Zoey had a cold. "Your the ignorant one – messing with me!" She coughed and blew her nose in her bare hand, also obviously had not been taught manners of any kind.

She sneezed again, and a big bugger ran down her upper lip. Sue made a face, "Gross Zoey, you're nose is running – even your nose is so put off by your behavior, that its trying to get away from you."

"Oooooo – Good one, Yi. Since when did you get so brave? Ahchooo!"

"Its not a matter of being brave. I can't stand seeing you hurt others. You just aren't worth my time."

"Shut Up YI! How about instead of hurting others, we hurt you?"

Sue didn't shut up, "Just get out of here Zoey. . . In fact, go home why don't you - you're sick - why are you even at school today?"

"So I can share my cold with you, Yi."

"Wha . . ." Zoey grabbed Sue in a bear-hug before she could react and planted her snotty lips right on Sue's! Sue kept her mouth shut tight until she could turn her head to scream, "Oh GROSS! Get off me!"

Sue pushed her away and grabbed the first thing, someone's jacket, to wipe her face off with. After giving no warning at all, Jenna punched Sue in the ribs from behind.

Sue didn't even cry out, but turned to face Jenna, so angry she thought steam might be coming out of her ears. "That punch wasn't even as hard as my brother hits me when we're playing. Leave our class, all of you!"

"Make us!" Jenna yelled. Several other students scrambled from their desks and ran. The bravest stayed and cheered for Sue. Sue got ready to defend herself just in time. Jenna took a few steps back threw a chair at her, afraid to go close enough to try to hit her again now that she was ready. Sue easily blocked the chair with her forearm and it landed harmlessly on the floor in the corner.

Just then, the teacher burst into the room. With Richard and three other very scared students behind him, hiding, but trying to see what had happened. Mr. Benson thought Sue was the one who threw the chair.

"You six girls! The principals office! Wait in the hall - I will escort you. Mrs. Evans is coming to sit with the rest of the class while you take the quiz."

Sue started to go back to her desk, but stopped, "Wait – SIX? Me too? I was trying to stop them!"

"You too Yi – you were part of this. Lets go!"

Zoey grinned a big 'shit-eating' grin at Sue. Richard finally found his brave voice and tried to help, "But Mr. Benson! Sue was trying to help me. She stopped those girls from tearing up my notes for class!"

"Really, well - we can sort everything out in the principals' office."

Sue sighed and resigned to go without further argument, but as she followed them into the hall, she hesitated. Checking first to make sure no one was looking at her, she leaned against the wall for a second holding her side. Jenna's punch wasn't completely in-effective, but there was no way Sue would show her how much it hurt.

Zoey and Jenna went first across the school yard, followed by the others, Mr. Benson, and Sue brought up the rear, grumbling all the way to the principal's office. She had only tried to help Richard, and now was being punished for it. Still, if she had to do it all over again, she would have. Sue glared angrily at the backs of the little gang's heads all the way to administration and realized that it looked like Ashley hadn't washed her hair in who-knows-how long.

After an hour of questions and having to defend her actions, she was finally allowed to leave the principal's office and fortunately, didn't get detention. But Zoey and Jenna did, get detention and their parents were called right then. Both immature girls threatened Sue when she went to the door to leave, after she had been excused.

Sue left quietly, choosing not to respond to their taunts, but their threats got them one more day of detention, which made them even madder.

Sue checked the time. Math class was over and she missed half of the next class. "Now I'm gonna have to make Mr. Benson's quiz up. Stupid Zoey." Sue got through the rest of her classes uneventfully. She didn't see Zoey or any of her gang again until the end of the day.

Unfortunately, when the final bell rang Zoey and the others found Sue alone at her bike taking the chain off. Sid and Tobey hadn't shown up yet.

Sue saw the girls coming, but sighed, otherwise ignoring them. She didn't want them to think for one minute that they would be able to chase her away or keep her from doing what she needed to do, just because they were around.

"Hey Yi! You got us detention!" Zoey accused.

"I didn't 'get you' nothin'. Your actions alone caused you to get in trouble. You weren't even supposed to be in that class. You deserve whatever you got for picking on Richard and the others."

"We'll go wherever we want – and pick on whoever we want. We're gonna make you pay for what you did to us."

"I did nothing to you, but a nickle should make us more than even - I'd pay that much to see you get suspended for a month next time! Do you listen at all in science class? Its all about cause and effect, your stupidity caused the effect of you getting in trouble. It had nothing to do with me. Period."

Zoey lost her temper and threw a punch at Sue, who blocked, just as Jenna tried to hit her from behind. Feeling the attack coming from behind her back, Sue ducked and Jenna hit Zoey in the mouth. Both girls turned back, cursing. Joined by May, Ashley and Riley, they circled around Sue again.

"Whats going on here?" Sid yelled as he and Tobey ran up to the trouble. All the girls saw the boys coming and ran. Even Zoey didn't want to tangle with Sid, especially. But Zoey trying not to look like a chicken yelled back, "We're still gonna get you Yi!"

Tobey asked softly, "Are you okay Sue?"

"Sure - I'm fine, but they seemed to be hitting each other – it was weird."

Sid noticed the bruise on Sue's forearm, and reached out to hold her hand so he could see it better, but didn't mention it. Instead he poked fun at the gang. "Not so weird for them to hit each other. They're all like cave-people; not coping well in modern society."

"Haha Sid," Tobey smiled, "Why are they bothering you again anyway, Sue?"

"They're trying to blame me for some trouble they got into today. Don't worry, I can handle it."

"I'm sure you can, Sue," Tobey grinned at her. "I wouldn't want to mess with you."

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Zoey's weird kissing fight had been on a Wednesday. Now on Friday morning, Sue was really sick. Much sicker than Zoey had been apparently, and Nana said she couldn't go to school at all with a fever of 101.8 degrees. Sue was already up and dressed when Nana came in and put a thermometer under her tongue. "But Nana, there's a test in history today."

"You can't go - it looks like you can't even focus your eyes on me, how would you take a test?"

"But Nana . . ."

"No Sue, Sid will bring you're assignments home and you'll have all weekend to recover and do you're homework. You can take a make up test next week."

"Aw, but that's two make-up tests in one week and its not even my fault! That Zoey and her friends at school! This is their fault."

"How could it be there fault you're missing class because you're sick Sue."

"Because on Wednesday - I was attacked! Zoey was sick and just to be annoying she grabbed me and kissed me! It was the most annoying, disgusting – disturbing thing ever! I'da rather been punched in the eye."

"One girl kissing another girl is a strange way to start a fight."

"She planned it, saying she wanted to give me her cold."

"Gives a new meaning to the term 'kissing disease', doesn't it? But I don't think that's what you have, you probably have a flu bug, so you have to take good care of yourself, but you should recover on your own."

Nana sat a jar of foul-smelling 'something' on Sue's nightstand and fluffed her pillow.

"Thanks Nana." Sue gave up trying to convince Nana to let her go to school and sat on her bed, eying the brew suspiciously. "What is it Nana?"

"Something to make you feel better, sip on it slowly until you get near the bottom, and then drink the rest quickly, and don't chew – just swallow."

"I'll try." Sue was pretty sure she saw something tiny, with one eyeball and a tail, move just under the surface of the liquid. When Nana left, Sue cringed. She put her pajamas back on and laid down facing away from the jar, hoping that whatever it was, wouldn't crawl out of the jar and get in bed with her.

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Sid had tennis practice after school so Tobey got back to Wu's Garden first, and had Sue's assignments with him. He went upstairs and after putting his stuff in his room, knocked on Sue's door. A voice that didn't even sound like Sue's said, "Come in."

Tobey made a face. "Oh Sue, you sound and look terrible."

"Thanks, and you look weird as e'ber." Sues nose was so plugged up she was having trouble speaking clearly.

"Ha-ha . . . And look at the mess you're making – you're even worse than me!"

"Leeb me alone - I don'b-beel good."

"No kidding, but do you have to just throw used tissue everywhere?"

"Go away, its 'by 'moom, I can be bessy, if'b I wanna."

"No, I'm not going away, but I, um -yeah- who am I to talk about being messy, right Sue? . . . I brought you you're books and assignments for the weekend."

"Fine, leave them and go away."

"Nana said she would be at the library late tonight, and Sid's at tennis practice. Do you want me t' do anything for ya?"

"No, nothing . . . why's Nana at d' library?"

"She says Kong Li is planning something, you know how she gets these feelings?"

"Yeah, and she's oben right. Go on Tob, do your hobwork or something. I'll go down and get something da eat later."

"Great idea Sue! I'll cook for you. Mr. Wu is in his room listening to that weight-loss hypnosis tape and Barney has had no customers. He's watching wrestling on TV in the dining room, so I'll have the whole kitchen to cook you're dinner in."

"Doe . . . 'obey, really, dads not 'ecessary. I'm bot hu'gry."

"Its okay, it'll take me a while to cook something. The peppers have to boil and it can be really hard to peel lychees – and if the pinto beans don't cook for an hour, they'll be tough.

"'obey, pindo's 'ave to coob for hours, and you have to wash them burst."

"No problem. I know what I'm doing. I'll just microwave them first."

"But they'll bop! - er, i bean pob."

"Cool – like 'pop-beans' instead of popcorn – they will be great with teriyaki sauce!" Tobey ran out before she could stop him.

Tired of trying to talk, Sue thought, ew, oh well if this cold can kill me, maybe I'll die before I have to eat what he cooks. I hope Nana gets home soon, and I hope she's wrong about Kong Li this time. I guess rather than fight him, I can sneeze on him and make him sick too." Sue rolled over and tried to go back to sleep.

Two hours later, Sue woke up and realized she did get a nap, but she was awakened by Tobey knocking on her door. "Com-b-in." Sue said as loud as she could. Tobey came in apologizing. "Sorry Sue, what I made for you can't even be cut into bites with Barney's meat cleaver, all you can do is lick it, and even that tastes weird."

"I told you – you can't book. If I was counting on you to feeb me, I'd starve."

"Hey - I can cook some stuff!"

"But when you do, you'rb the only one who likes it." Sue blew her nose three times in a row so maybe she could breathe for a few minutes, and it helped, she could even speak a little clearer, but Tobey was arguing, "You are mean Sue, I've gotten a lot better." Tobey looked down, and turned like he would leave, but really wanted to tell her something else, and remembered, so he didn't go. Instead he said softly, "Sid is very late from tennis practice, I'm gonna go find him."

"He isn't home yet? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure and his GPS signal shows him three blocks away, and not moving, so maybe he had a flat tire or something and he's having trouble changing it, I'll go see if I can help him. Will you be okay alone for a while? I can tell Barney to check on you."

"No I'm fine, I might just go to back to sleep, but call me when you find Sid."

"I'm sure he's fine, I'm mostly going so Barney doesn't try to put me to work – when he's not working anyway."

"Still, call me."

"Okay Sue and since diner didn't work out so great, do you want Sid and I to bring you pizza or something?"

"Not pizza, you shouldn't eat cheesy stuff when you're sick. Maybe when you get back, ask Sid to make me some egg drop soup. That sounds good with crackers, but not now, I'm so sleepy."

"Okay Sue, you're phone is on your nightstand."

". . . and Tobey . . . thanks for trying to cook for me, I'm sorry I yelled at you - I know you can cook some stuff alright."

"No problem, I know you're just grumpy cause you're sick, but you're still a better patient than I am when I'm sick."

"That's true, when you're sick, you turn into 'evil Tobey'." Sue said, smiling, but wiping her nose so you couldn't tell under the tissue. Tobey grinned at Sue and left, the smile on his face left quickly too when Sue couldn't see him anymore. He was a little worried about Sid, but didn't want her to worry.

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Tobey still rode playfully, jumping curbs and taking a detour behind the grocery store to jump the loading dock. Even though he was worried about Sid, he didn't know any other way to ride his bike. If nothing serious was wrong, and it was just a flat tire or something, he thought with any luck at all, Sid would have fixed his tire, or taken care of whatever problem he was having by the time he got there and they could just goof off for a while at the arcade on the way back.

The dark alley seemed even colder than the street as Tobey slowed down to enter. He got chills as he rounded the corner toward where Sid's GPS signal said he was. His way blocked by trash, Tobey hit his brakes and kicked his rear tire out to slide to a stop sideways, gravel making 'pinging' sounds when it ricocheted off the metal dumpster near by.

"Hey Sid! Where're ya?" He laid his bike on the ground to climb over a stack of pallets and broken shipping crates. He looked at Sid's GPS signal again and it still showed him to be right there. "Sid? Why don't you answer me?" He frowned and looked up. The sight before his eyes made him gasp in surprise and he quickly lowered into his snake defensive posture.

"Kong Li!"

"Yes my son. I'm glad you decided to join our party, Sid, all by himself is pretty boring, but there's still one missing. Where's Sue?"

"First - where's Sid?" Tobey demanded, having no intention of telling him where Sue was.

Rather than say anything, Kong Li simply stepped aside and gestured farther back, into the dark alley. In the shadows, Tobey could just make something that wasn't a normal part of the alley.

"Gei Kow No." Kong Li whispered, and a flame appeared over his palm, but he was only intending to shed a little light on the situation. Tobey jumped anyway, thinking that Kong Li made the flame to attack him with, but Kong Li pointed again, his flame lighting up the area, and the mustard yellow shirt that Sid was wearing.

"Sid!" Tobey cried, and ran forward without thinking. Sid was tied by his wrists, hanging uncomfortably from a fire escape; his toes just inches from the ground, but still dangling uncomfortably. Tobey ran right over and stood in front of Sid, trying to see if he was hurt.

"So predictable Tobey," Kong Li laughed, "running straight into my trap with no hesitation at all. Thank you for doing just what I hoped you would."

Tobey ignored Kong Li and lifted Sid's chin to get a little light on his face. Sid groaned, muffled by a film of something green, covering his mouth and chin. He was trying to tell Tobey to run, but Tobey could barely hear him, and thought he was groaning from being so uncomfortable or maybe he was even hurt seriously!

"Kong Li! You didn't have to hurt him! I'll make you pay for this!"

Instead of attacking Kong Li right then, Tobey wanted to save Sid first, so he reached up to try to get his wrists loose, just as the trap under his feet was sprung.

A dark patch of ground in front of and under Sid, that Tobey was standing on turned out to be a shape shifter, disguised as 'ground'. Shifty imitated a trap door by splitting open right under Tobey's feet to let him fall down into a deep hole. On the way down, Tobey fell through a net that was more, a thin, green 'membrane' than a net. It wrapped around him like shrink-wrap around a doll; tightly and pinning his arms to his sides, his legs together all the way to his toes and even covering his face, all which really freaked him out! Tobey tried to scream, realizing he was confined and helpless, and still falling. No sound came from him either since he couldn't breathe through the membrane. He landed hard on the ground with the shape shifter bouncing next to him, his trap-door form now resembled a large beach ball.

Above, Sid was still hanging by his wrists, with his legs dangling over the open hole. Seeing Tobey fall, he tried harder to scream through the gag and started kicking. Kong Li walked over and punched him in the gut to make him hold still.

"I suppose all the guests we will have at this party have arrived, so let the festivities begin!" Using a flourish like an actor on stage, Kong Li cut the rope with a knife to let Sid fall down the hole too. He landed hard on his side, his hands still tied in front of his body. Kong Li looked down over the edge, smiling and yelled at Shifty, "Don't forget to pull the kai-goo recipe from over my son's mouth, we don't want him to suffocate for real . . . yet."

The shifter-ball stopped bouncing and took his humanoid form so he would have a hand with fingers to tear the kai-goo from Tobey's mouth and nose. Tobey coughed and gasped for air. With his eyes still covered, he couldn't see Sid or anything else and frightened, started screaming again. Shifty pulled the gag off of Sid's mouth too, even though Kong Li had not ordered it.

"Sid! Sid!" Tobey cried.

"I'm right here. I think were in bad trouble. I'm so glad Sue isn't with you."

"Yeah, she and Nana will figure out what happened to us and save us . . . won't they?"

"I hope so."

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Sue woke up sneezing and got her hand stuck in the empty Kleenex box. "Oh no! This is so disgusting!" Feeling as awful as she was, she decided to only go as far as the bathroom to find something to wipe her nose with. A roll of toilet paper was closest, so that's what she used. Her nose was so sore from all the blowing, the toilet paper would probably make it feel worse, but at that point she didn't care, she didn't think she could feel worse.

Going by the clock in the hallway, she noticed that nine-thirty had already come and gone. "Wow the boys are late, I guess I fell asleep." A quick glance in Nana's room, she realized, "Nana's not back yet either, but the library closed at nine." Sue grumbled all the way back to her room, thinking about how everyone had left her alone for so long.

"Wow, its good I'm not seriously ill since everyone left me to fend for myself. Well, Barney and Mr. Wu are probably here somewhere, but um - yeah, still alone." She looked at her phone to see if any of them had tried to call her to tell her they'd be late, and saw there were no missed calls. She also saw that Sid's GPS signal had not moved from where it was when Tobey left hours ago.

Oh man, what's going on with them? After she got back in bed under the covers, she tried to call them. She was having chills even though her skin felt hot and it was hard even to see her phone. "Come on guys, one of you answer!" Sue tried twice, but there was no answer either time, so she called Nana.

"Have you seen Sid or Tobey?"

"No, I told them to stay home with you, to make sure you have whatever you need. Don't tell me they aren't there. . . "

"They aren't, but I don't really need anything – I'm just getting worried about them. Tobey went to find Sid hours ago, and Sid's GPS signal is still in the same place."

"Okay Sue, I see the signal. I will go find out what their doing on my way back. I hope they didn't run into Kong Li. From what I've learned doing some research, Kong Li may be after a rare fungi, a kind of mold that only grows on lead-based paints, after three days of steady rain and we've had some perfect weather for it. He might be out causing trouble trying to get it."

"Oh no, Nana, call me if you need me."

"I won't need you Sue, stay there and take care of yourself. I will call if we are delayed much longer."

"Okay Nana, if you're sure."

"I'm sure sweetheart. Don't you dare come out in this cold rain."

Sue tried to lay back down, but couldn't hold still for worrying, besides her nose being so stopped up she couldn't breath except through her mouth.

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Back in the tunnel underground, Kong Li carried Tobey to where he had a few items gathered for his plan. The shape-shifter dragged Sid by his bound wrists, rather than pick him up dirt got down his pants making everything even more uncomfortable.

Fortunately, where he was taking them wasn't too far. Iron bars like in an old west Sheriff's office separated a recess in the wall from the corridor. The bars disappeared when they got close and Kong Li threw Tobey in, the shifter pulled Sid in and gave him a kick in the leg on his way out, barely making it back out before the bars appeared again.

Hoping that Kong Li would be finished bothering them for a while, Sid started pulling more of the weird membrane off of Tobey, starting with his head, because he knew that was really bothering him. While he worked, slowed down a little with his wrists tied tightly together, Kong Li started spewing his plans instead of leaving them alone. Fortunately he didn't try to stop Sid from releasing Tobey.

"Boys, even before I have you help me get the magic cookbook, we are going on a treasure hunt."

"Really?" Sid shot back. "What makes you think we would help you do anything?"

"Because if you don't do what I tell you, you'll both be very sorry - Tobey, you are a good climber, right boy?"

"I do many things well - no thanks to you . . . Dad." Tobey could see and hear better now with his head uncovered. Sid was working on getting his arms free.

Kong Li smiled, but evilly not ruffled at all by Tobey's comment. "Fine then, you will both climb around on the outside walls of the tallest buildings in Chinatown to find what I need. I have already made a list of the oldest, painted buildings where we are likely to find even a little lead-based paint."

"Lead-based paint?" Sid glared angrily. "Are you kidding?"

Tobey added, "Only you would think lead-based paint is a treasure, Kong Loser."

"No-no; not the paint, but what will be growing on the old paint after three consecutive days of rain is priceless, and as long as it keeps raining for a little while longer, it should be growing and we will only have a couple of hours to harvest!"

"Why us? Just get your shape-shifter to do it."

"My shape-shifter is not good at this sort of work, lets face it, he's not very bright."

Shifty grunted at Kong Li's remark and Kong Li glared at him as he continued, "No, I captured you two especially for this job. You will take turns climbing down the outside of the buildings to look for what I am after, while the other keeps me company on the roof."

"We might push you off the building, but we won't help you!"

"Don't be sure, I know that threatening your lives wont work. Mei Hua has brainwashed you to think that foolishly giving up your lives is brave, but I know something that's sure to work, since you are all such a close fake-family now and will do anything for each other."

"Our family is not fake!" Tobey screamed angrily, "Nana loves us and cares for us just like we were her children from birth." Tobey involuntarily kicked and Sid had to let go of the green membrane on his legs. He stopped trying to get Tobey's legs free, figuring he could finish, and started chewing on the cord that bound his wrists. "Nana cares about the three of us more than anything!"

"No Tobey – how easily you're fooled. Mei Hua 'uses' you, she uses you to protect herself from me. She's just a foolish, frightened old woman. One day, you will realized what you've been missing and join me, she will be too old to protect herself at all and Sid and Sue will be easily defeated. Then I will have Mei Hua Wu sitting in my dungeon."

"Forget it Kong Li, you're aging poorly – Nana will out-live and out-fight you by decades!"

"I already have you and Sid, I could take Sue and Mei Hua out right now if I had time."

"Sue can protect herself, and you'll never even get close to Nana, you've tried before and she beats you every time."

"Yes, and if not for my son helping her, that wouldn't keep happening. He is more skilled than any of the rest of you. But now, you will help me whether you want to or not."

"So how do you think you will convince us to do anything you say before our Nana finds us and kicks your ass - again?"

"She won't be able to find us here, and after we leave here, it will be too late to stop me and save you two, so let go any hope you have of your Nana coming to rescue you. You will find and collect the mold I need."

"Mold? Why would you even want mold anyway? Don't you have enough growing between you're toes?"

"Ha-ha, good one Tob." the shape-shifter made a long thick tentacle to whip Tobey across the back with for that comment, but Sid blocked it, taking the strike on his forearm. He gritted his teeth a little and glared at Kong Li and the shifter.

Tobey never even knew the shifter had tried to hit him. Kong Li gave the shifter a look that meant, 'back off' and continued. " I will use the mold to make a gaseous, infectious cloud that will spread over Chinatown, spreading disease and getting rid of this city's weak, non-magical residents so I can replace them with strong demons and an army of slightly more intelligent shape-shifters."

As he spoke, Kong Li magically passed through the bars of the cell toward the boys, causing them to back up, but not because they were scared, they backed up only to make more room so they could kick him with more force.

Kong Li knew from past experience that they were going to try and fight him. "I know what you're thinking - don't try it. Even if you 'take me down' you can't get out of this cell without my magical help."

"Its okay. Just knowing that you're 'down' will make us both feel a lot better." Sid glanced at Tobey and they ran at Kong Li. He threw a vial at them, and the liquid that came from it, instantly increased in volume by hundreds of times, smacking Tobey in the chest like a giant green lugey. Tobey fell backwards and the lugey stuck him to the floor of the cell, trapped like a turtle on his back.

Sid avoided most of the green lugey-like potion, but still got his arm stuck to his side and the surprise made him hesitate. Kong Li grabbed Sid's free arm by the wrist and twisted until Sid went to his knees.

"Ow! Lemme go!"

"It didn't take much to take you down Sid. I thought you were strong."

"I'm plenty strong, you cheat! What is this stuff? Aaaannn!"

"That 'stuff' is not your main problem Sid." Kong Li held his hand out toward him, and sitting on his palm, was a slug-shaped lump of black goo – that wiggled! It went from short and fat to long and thin as it moved around, but it stayed on Kong Li's palm.

"What is that?" Sid cried, gritted his teeth with fear and discomfort. Kong Li still had him restrained, pressing on one of the most-sensitive pressure points on the human hand.

"Just a little something for you, that will ensure that Tobey cooperates. In turn, Tobey will get something to make sure you cooperate. You'll see - in this plastic bag, there are a pair of leeches. They've been swimming in a special, magic potion of my own creation that has turned them into 'magic leeches'. Now they are 'connected' with each other, not physically - but emotionally - if it can be said that leeches have emotions. Mwahahaha! . . . Either way, they are evolved enough that they can feel pain and my magic will allow both to feel what is happening even just to one of them, pain or pleasure."

"What does a leech have to do with anything? I'm not scared of little creatures no matter how slimy-what do i care if one 'feels' what the other feels?"

"You'll be scared of these leeches before this is over. Leeches are bad enough on their own, but these are carnivorous and very ferocious when angered or hurt and they don't die easily. Because i can pinch the one in my pocket, or hurt it in numerous ways - i can also control the one that will be inside you! - I can make it tear you apart from the inside! Mwahahaha."

"No way. I don't believe you - and there's no way you can get me to eat that thing!"

"You won't have a choice - if it has to, it will drill it's way through your skin to get away from what I will be doing to it's mate."

"Ew, No!" Sid struggled, trying to free his arm.

"No! Leave Sid alone," Tobey interrupted.

"Yes! When irritated, the leech will start eating your guts and keep chewing until it calms down. There's really no way to know how long it will take for it to calm down and if it stays irritated too long, it will be a very slow and painful way to die. If Tobey doesn't do what I say, I will smash the leech in my pocket and you will suffer, so hope Tobey likes you enough to spare you."

The leech bounced from Kong Li's hand to Sid, crawled up his shirt, oozed up his neck and jaw, sticking for a moment to his cheek. Sid yelled and struggled, his eyes huge as he tried to see what it was doing on his cheek. Kong Li held him still by twisting his arm higher up his back; and pinning him against the cell bars so he couldn't get away. Kong Li sounded at first like he was trying to comfort Sid when he spoke, "Don't worry Sid, it'll be really unpleasant as the leech goes in and builds its nest out of your guts, but after that - you won't even know its there unless Tobey screws up."

"How could you! Its not fair to make Sid suffer for what I might or might not do."

"Fair? Who said life is fair? If you don't do what I say, the effect it will have on Sid will be really bad."

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey continued . . .


	2. Chapter 2

Cause and Effect

Part 2

by Crystalquirt

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sid could only see the leech as a dark splotch on his face, that was moving. The leech crawled down his cheek, forced it's way between his lips at the corner of his mouth and then pried his jaw apart by squeezing in-between his teeth. Sid tried to bite it in half, but unharmed, the leech, that smelled and tasted like 'death' only bit his tongue and continued exploring his mouth, like it was looking for something.

Sid's eyes were huge and he kept trying to spit the leech out, but that made it agitated and it went under his tongue to bite him again. When Sid yelled it poked the roof of his mouth like it was trying to get away by going through, but turned and after finding the opening it was looking for it started slowly slithering down his throat.

Kong Li watched Sid suffering with a smile on his face, and when he was sure the leech was inside far enough that Sid couldn't spit it out, he released him and he fell to his knees gagging.

"Sid, relax, even if you manage to throw up now, the leech has already attached itself to the lining in your stomach and can't be removed."

When he couldn't feel it wiggling and biting him anymore, Sid composed himself a little, still pressing his fingers to his neck like he could still feel the slimy thing moving. He wiped his face off before he looked up at Kong Li and argued, "Tobey still won't help you! He knows I would rather die than see you succeed at anything!"

"Brave words, but letting you die would be kinder than letting you go through what that leech will do to you, if he disobeys me. I think when he hears your screams of pure anguish, as you are torn apart inside, he will change his mind."

Tobey kicked and struggled, trying to get up the whole time Kong Li tormented Sid. He couldn't see for sure what was happening, but knew it wasn't good from the sounds that Sid was making. Tobey hoped Sid was just getting sick because he had to look at Kong Li, but knew that probably wasn't it. By the time Kong Li came over to him and said, "Your turn, son," he was so frustrated that he had tears running down his cheeks and into his hair.

"What is this? My son is crying? Poor thing . . . but you ain't seen nothin' yet! Mwahahaha! . . . I'm going to release you now, come on – try to attack me, I dare you, son." Kong Li waved his hand, sprinkling a potion at Tobey, and the green wad of lugey-like goo hardened and cracked harmlessly off of Tobey's clothes and skin. Tobey jumped up and screamed angrily as he charged, ready to fight, but Kong Li looked at Sid, squeezing the leech in his pocket. Sid immediately cried out in pain and fell to the ground, thrashing uncontrollably.

Sid was totally caught off guard by the pain that the creature in his stomach was causing him, and even though Kong Li wasn't squeezing the leech's mate anymore, the one in his stomach was still chewing.

Tobey stood frozen, watching Sid for a moment before he ran to him, he touched his shoulder, wishing he could help him, but then glared at Kong Li, his mind racing trying to think of some way to make Kong Li stop whatever he was doing, "What's happening to him?"

Kong Li just smiled; Sid kept screaming, Tobey panicked, "STOP HURTING HIM!" Kong Li smiled evilly and the leech finally stopped thrashing and chewing. Sid stopped screaming, but lie on his side, panting and holding his belly with both hands, unable to speak.

"See, I stopped son. I'm not all bad you know, now come over here to me and hold still. If you make any move I don't tell you to make, Sid will suffer more, and the madder that leech gets, the more damage it will do. At some point, if you keep trying to defy me, it will find his heart and he will die, if he doesn't die of internal bleeding first."

"You cant! You can't do this to him!"

"I've already done my part, what happens to him from here on is completely up to you. I have explained to you what will happen if you fight me. If you can't control yourself, he will die – and it will be all your fault."

"None of this is my fault, Kong Li!"

"Of course it is. Once you have been told the rules, if you choose not to follow them, the consequences to you or Sid, are entirely up to you."

"Your reasoning is warped, daddy."

Tobey reluctantly walked over to Kong Li and kneeled before him just like Kong Li had instructed. He held his breath and closed his eyes, forcing himself to hold still for whatever Kong Li was going to do to him. Sid recovered enough to speak and begged Tobey to fight back no matter what, but Tobey wouldn't, because it meant that Sid would be hurt again. That proved Kong Li's theory that one boy won't cause the other pain, and he thought that made them weak. He had a small jar of water and with Tobey surrendered and kneeling, he grabbed a handful of his hair to make him tilt his head to the side. Tobey whined through his teeth, but held still, allowing him to tilt his head to the side, with his right ear up.

He felt so exposed and helpless and worried that Kong Li would do something to his neck, he forgot all the other vial things his dad could do to him while he was in that position. When he felt water drip down his neck, he bravely opened one eye to peek at what was happening.

Kong Li poured the water like he was trying to pour it in his ear. Tobey whimpered a little louder and squeezed his his eyes shut again. The water was not what Kong Li was putting in his ear, it was the small eel that was swimming in the water that he was trying to get to go in Tobey's ear; and once the eel found his ear canal, it did swim right inside! The sudden pressure caused pain that made Tobey gasp, but when the eel's nose got in far enough to break Tobey's eardrum, he cried louder, covered his ear with both hands and doubled over, resting on his elbows. Inside his ear, the strange eel's fins spread out, and the spines sunk into the sides of his ear canal holding the eel firmly in place.

Sid cried, "Kong Li! What did you do to him?" Sid couldn't see the creature, and couldn't figure out why the water hurt Tobey so badly. Kong Li wouldn't say, he only offered, "My son should recover enough to tell you himself soon."

"Aaaannnn-h!" Tobey wailed.

"I'm only sorry Sue wasn't here. I had something really painful planned for her too. Well, she may join us later, right boys?" Kong Li pulled both boys to their feet by the backs of their shirts and shoved them toward the bars, which disappeared when they got close enough. Tobey was barely aware of being forced to get up and when he finally took his hands away from his ear, Sid saw blood had welled up in his ear canal, hiding whatever else might be in there.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Back at Wu's garden, Sue anxiously waited for Nana to call, which she did, almost a half-hour later. "I found Sid's phone lying in an alley. That's why his signal wasn't moving; he must have dropped it. Tobey's bike is here too, so they probably found each other. The rain has washed away any footprints, but I found a large hole in a strange place. I'm calling you first because once I go underground, I may not get reception."

"Nana, do you think Kong Li got them?"

"I don't think anything yet; I've seen no sign of Kong Li. Maybe the boys just found the hole and decided to explore."

"But they wouldn't have been gone so long without calling."

"Tobey probably got Sid lost down there. I'll find them."

"Okay Nana, be careful." Sue hung up, frowning. She didn't believe Nana and thought she heard tension in her voice that only meant she was worried that Kong Li was involved.

Afraid for her brother and best friend, Sue got up, put her pants on over her pajamas and stuffed two large wads of toilet paper in her pants pockets to blow her nose on. She put put her red biking shirt on and a coat and stuffed more toilet paper in her coat pockets just to be sure, and went to the hall closet. She put on a woolen cap and one of Nana's scarves hoping to stay warm enough to not get even sicker and knowing Mr. Wu and Barney wouldn't miss her, wouldn't understand, and would only try to stop her, she left without telling them.

Breathing in the cold air, as she pedaled swiftly through Chinatown's streets, she was determined to find Sid and Tobey. Nana had Sid's phone with her underground, so it was gone from the alley, but Sue still found the hole. She breathlessly started talking out loud to herself she was so worried, "Nana m-mentioned finding a . . . hole that she thought they went down. I'll follow her – at least if Kong Li . . . really is involved I can help Nana and make our chances better."

Sue left her bike with Tobey's, chaining both bikes to a dilapidated fence. Then she ran to the edge of the hole, but she saw no way to lower herself down. She wondered if Nana just flew down, because there was no rope or anything to use to climb down. Before she could figure it out, she had to endure a violent coughing fit.

After her coughing fit was over, Sue used her phone's glow to try and see the bottom, thinking, maybe the hole wasn't as deep as it looked. She frowned after she looked down. She still couldn't tell how far down the bottom was. "Well – Sid, Tobey and Nana all made it down, so I will too . . . or if they didn't make it, I'll land on their bodies." After that grim thought, Sue held her breath like she was jumping into a pool and stepped into the space above the hole.

The dust caused her to have another coughing fit, but she was otherwise fine when she landed, and there were no bodies lying around. The coughing fits were becoming worse and hurt her sore throat and her ribs enough to make her double over. Sue leaned on the wall for a few seconds before she started exploring. She worried that if Kong Li was around, he might have heard her coughing but no one approached her, at least not that she could see in the dark. Using the glow from her phone for her only light, she went down the tunnel, cautiously.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nana arrived at the cell where Kong Li had been keeping Sid and Tobey just moments after he left with the boys. There were no bars in place, but she could tell he had kept them there, chains and remnants of recipes, jars and pots were left lying around. She went further down the tunnel and felt a little relieved that she didn't find Tobey and Sid hanging in the chains being tortured. She knew what Kong Li was capable of if he had helpless prisoners. Still she worried, Kong Li's plan and their fates were still unknown.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Using a rusty old fire escape that rocked and shook as they climbed, Kong Li forced Sid and Tobey up first, taking them to the roof of the tallest, oldest building in Chinatown to check it for his so-called magic mold. Sid hesitated for only a moment when he came to a section of ladder that had two rungs missing, and the bolt on one side gone. Sid wasn't fond of heights anyway, and the strong wind and rain made it even less fun. Kong Li looked up and saw that Tobey had stopped, because Sid had stopped first. "Keep going!" he demanded.

Sid yelled back down, "This isn't safe, we shouldn't . . . " he stopped talking when he was interrupted by a scream. Tobey covered his ear with both hands and fell off the ladder! Kong Li had used a whistle, with a pitch silent to humans, but that would drive most sea life crazy. The noise agitated the eel and it made Tobey scream, all just to get Sid's attention. Sid was too high above Tobey to catch him, even though he tried and almost fell too. Kong Li caught Tobey around the waist. Even hanging upside down Tobey didn't let go of his ear and kept screaming.

Sid screamed too, "STOP-STOP! I'm going! I didn't say I wouldn't go!" but by the time Sid finished saying it, Tobey's pain subsided and he quieted down, Even though he was feeling dizzy and nauseous, he still struggled to get out of Kong Li's arms. "Don't touch me!" he climbed away from Kong Li as quickly as he could.

Sid whispered, "Sorry Tob'." and climbed faster. Tobey replied, "Its not you're fault, Sid," knowing who's fault it really was. Once on the roof, Tobey went to his knees holding his head. "Tobey!" Sid cried.

"I'm okay Sid. Just a little wiped out."

"You better go Sid, or he won't be okay long." Kong Li threw Sid a rope and made him tie a loop around his waist before he lowered himself over the edge. Kong Li explained, "This is not to keep you from falling as much as to keep you from climbing down or inside, through a window and escaping. Also, remember what I will do to Tobey if you try anything." Kong Li tied the other end of the rope to a pipe sticking out of the roof, about ten feet from the edge.

Hurting, soaking wet and really frustrated, Tobey lie down the rest of the way and rolled onto his back, letting the rain hit him in the face.

Sid crab-walked using his hands and feet on every ledge and window's edge, as he moved carefully, looking for even a small speck of the mold. After several minutes of searching, he didn't see any mold or mildew at all, and nothing sparkled green when he put the flashlight on it like Kong Li said it would.

Kong Li impatiently strode over to the edge and looked down at Sid, "Hey, reject! Hurry up! But if you come back up without anything for me, you'll be sorry, or should I say, Tobey will be sorry." Tobey heard. Just the thought of what Kong Li would do made him cringe and cover his ear, not that covering his ear would help.

"But Kong Loser! There's nothing down here!" Sid called.

"There has to be – all the conditions are right - look closer. Be sure before you choose to make my son suffer some more."

Sid practically screamed to be heard over the rain, "I'm not choosing anything! If its not here – I can't just wave my hand and conjure it like magic!"

"True Sid, if that were possible, I would have conjured it myself. You make sure to bring me something – and hurry!"

Sid growled under his breath and searched with his flashlight again, in the same places he had already looked. He still found nothing 'growing" but did find a collection of soggy pigeon poop on a ledge that he scraped up into the vial. "Kong Li said he wanted me to bring him something – this is something." Sid smiled in spite of himself. "If he has to punish someone because I didn't find the mold, maybe he'll get mad enough to punish me instead of Tobey."

Kong Li's eyes got big and he smiled when Sid crawled back up on the roof and handed him the vial, but his mood darkened almost immediately. "This isn't my mold! This is pigeon crap!"

Tobey laughed out loud, holding his stomach, Sid grinned, but he had a good idea what was coming. He tried to stay composed when the pain started, but found he couldn't even stay on his feet. He fell to his knees, screaming in agony. Tobey fell a moment later covering his ear, and groaning loudly. Unfortunately Kong Li was so angry he 'punished' both boys.

"After a few seconds, Kong Li stopped, both boys lie gasping. "So, do you both still think I'm funny?"

"No - We think you're ridiculous." Sid answered first. Tobey added, "Yeah, but Sid giving you pigeon crap; that was funny! The look on your face was totally worth it!" Tobey stopped talking suddenly, expecting to have his brain poked again by the eel, but it didn't happen because of what Sid did next. Trying to distract Kong Li, Sid cried, "You keep hurting us, we'll be too weak to climb around on the sides of buildings, looking for your mold. I'm guessing even if it is growing someplace, we won't have long to find it. How long after it stops raining will the mold last?"

"Only as long as it stays wet, so you either have to find it fast, or suffer for the rest of you're short, pitiful days that you have left because you failed me!"

Kong Li hurried the boys to recover, threatening to hurt them again, and telling Sid, that the eel in Tobey's ear could get agitated enough to swim right into his brain. Tobey seemed more willing to cooperate than Sid did from the beginning, being the soft-hearted kid that he was. He hoped if they just played along for a while, that Nana and Sue would find them before Kong Li actually found his mold.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Farther along in the tunnel, Nana came upon Tobey's phone next. "Oh no, now there's no chance we can use the GPS on the phones to find them." Nana kept going at a jog until she found an area that had a table and hot plate, several books and a dozen large jars containing different substances, some not easily identified. There was an aquarium half-full of dirty water that had small black eel-like creatures of several different species swimming around. Nana ran to the book that was near the center of the table and had been left open to the page Kong Li had been using.

She started reading about using creatures and potions to torture and control prisoners, and shivered at all the terrible things that the boys might be going though. The book was old, mid-evil times old. Eels, jellyfish, even lionfish, most of the creatures were salt water, and could inflict some kind of poison on their victims. Nana lit three candles so she could see the creatures in the aquarium better, realizing most were some kind of eels. Next, Nana started trying to figure out what was in the potion that Kong Li had been cooking. There was still some left in a pot sitting on the ground, and it smelled like dead things. She hoped she could quickly figure it out and find the antidote.

Without knowing for sure which way to go, Sue happened to follow Nana for a while, but took a different turn and never came upon the area where Nana was working to find antidotes for what Kong Li had done. The tunnels kept splitting off in different directions and pretty soon, Sue found herself in one that took her back up to the street about two blocks away from where she started and without her bike, Sue started walking.

It was late now, and Chinatown's streets were nearly empty, except for people who had to work nights, police and criminals. Kong Li's plans often made Sue, Sid and Tobey stay out on the streets all night, investigating or trying to stop him once they found him and tonight wasn't much different, except this time Sue was alone. She headed back toward her bike so she could cover the ground faster.

Sue had a very strong feeling of deja vu when she got close to her bike. She even got goosebumps, but a sneeze forcing its way out of her nose distracted her before she could even look around. After she used some more toilet paper from her pocket, she looked down the alley and saw three figures, one taller than the other two, and wearing a cape. They were nearly running and only appeared for an instant as they crossed by the end of the alley two blocks away. "That had to be Sid and Tobey – with Kong Li!" Sue hurried to get her bike unchained so she could catch them, when suddenly a familiar poisonous-sounding voice yelled, "Hey Yi!"

Sue hoped for a moment that she was dreaming, but turned around; and sure enough Zoey and the other four cretins were walking up to her. "Look Zoey, I don't have time to play with you right now."

"You better make time. We owe you, Yi."

Sue started coughing, and cursing the bad timing of the coughing fit she was having on top of the bad timing of the gang showing up and the effect it would have on her being able to catch up with Kong Li.

"Look, Zoey - I caught your cold, I feel like crap - you got your revenge, now go bother someone else for a while." Sue tried to get on her bike, but Jenna kicked her legs out from under her. Sue and the bike fell, and the effort made her cough some more. Jenna and Ashley pulled her up to her feet and turned her to face Zoey.

"I don't think we're even yet at all! I planned on giving you my cold anyway, just for fun. Now we still owe you for getting us detention."

"Don't you pay any attention to anything? You caused yourself to get in trouble, the effect was detention. Now you're causing me to lose Sid and Tobey and you really aren't going to like the effect that brings upon you."

"What do you mean lose them? Maybe they just don't want to hang around with you anymore."

"Once again you're showing how ignorant you truly are Zoey. I swear - if Sid and Tobey are hurt because you have slowed me down – there'll be no place on the planet that you can hide from me. I'll spend the rest of my life hunting each of you down if I have to."

Sue kicked Zoey in the gut and followed through with a back-flip out of Jenna and Ashley's grip. The instant she landed, she palmed the two of them and glared at May and Riley.

"Come on you chickens -cough-cough- lets get this over with!"

Riley yelled back, "You callin' me chicken?"

"Hey – if the feathers fit . . ."

"You take that back!" Riley charged Sue, who sidestepped and palmed her in the chest in one easy move. May ran like the wind in the other direction and Sue screamed hoarsely and out of breath. "You morons! Stay out of my way! -cough." Sue jumped on her bike and took off. Of course Sid and Tobey were no where in sight now, but looking in the direction they had been going, she saw a seven-story abandoned building and thought that was a good a place as any to start.

When Sue saw the doors at the entrance had been left open she thought chances were even better that she would find Sid, Tobey and Kong Li inside. She hoped she would find Sid and Tobey first, but stopped on the first floor to try to call Nana, There was no answer. Running up the stairs, she kept having to stop and cough, each time hoping that Kong Li wouldn't hear her.

Coming to an open door on the sixth floor, Sue went in to stay out of sight while she caught her breath and rested for a moment. While there, she saw Tobey swing across on a rope, outside the window! She ran over to try and talk to him.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

When Kong Li forced Sid and Tobey through the alleys, they never saw Sue and had no idea she had to fight those girls alone again. With Kong Li hounding them, they couldn't have helped her anyway. The building the boys found themselves standing in front of, was seven stories tall and the front entrance was unlocked so Kong Li wasted no time, or magic before he forced them inside. There was evidence that homeless people had been sleeping there, old rags and blankets had been wadded up and left in corners. Some of the lumps in the blankets may have been people sleeping right then. Kong Li pushed the boys to the stairs. Tobey and Sid were glad they didn't have to brave another rickety fire escape, but climbing seven flights of stairs wasn't easier. At least they weren't getting rained on.

On the roof, Kong Li said it was Tobey's turn to go over the edge. Kong Li wouldn't even let them rest after the long climb even though Tobey tried to anyway. He sat down, trying to catch his breath and held his head, which was pounding with pain. Kong Li yelled at him, "Get up – get going!" Sid interrupted, "Give him a minute! Can't you see he's in pain?"

Sid leaned down to check on Tobey, but Kong Li backhanded him along the side of his head. Sid almost fell on Tobey as Kong Li reached into his pocket. Tobey thought he would squeeze the leech-bag or blow the whistle again, and cried, "Wait! I'm going! I'm going!" he gave Sid's shoulder a pat when he got up, hoping to reassure him that things would be okay, and tied the rope around his waist to go over the edge.

During his search, Tobey was extremely active at the end of the rope. Where Sid used his hands and feet to move around slowly, Tobey kicked off the wall again and again, swinging back and forth. As the wet rope slid over the wet bricks it started to fray and the rope began to slowly unravel.

Kong Li looked over the edge and saw Tobey swinging, he yelled, "Tobey, you won't be able to find it moving so fast! Stay on the wall and look closely."

"Yeah-yeah," he called, and then grumbled, "Jerk."

He came to rest with his feet on the wall near a window and shined the flashlight along a crack, but it wasn't even wet under the edge so he cried in frustration, "Crap, Kong Li said it would have to be wet to grow." Tobey swung to the other side of the window, just as Sue threw the window open. It scared him and he screamed and kicked off the wall to get away. That was all it took, one more fast movement and the rope broke!

Kong Li heard Tobey scream, but didn't go to the edge to look down. Sid panicked, "Tobey! - Check on him! Maybe he's in trouble!" But Kong Li just answered angrily, "My son is an idiot. Do you think he's trying to make me hurt you again, Sid?"

"Tobey wouldn't do that! Please look! Make sure he's okay!"

"I'm sure he's fine, but it doesn't sound like he's looking for the mold." Kong Li walked back over and looked down. Tobey was no where in sight!

"That reject! I don't see him! He must have climbed in a window to get away, even knowing what I would do to you!"

Kong Li squished the bag with the leech in it so hard he almost squeezed it in half. Sid started screaming and curled into a ball, holding his stomach. Kong Li yelled over the side, "You better get your butt back up here! I don't think Sid can take much more of this!"

But Tobey hadn't climbed in a window. When the rope broke, Sue saw him fall. She leaned out and caught the rope as it went by. It burned the first three layers of skin off of her palms and pulled her half way out the window, but she slowed Tobey's fall. The rope swung him through a window, three stories below. Sue heard the glass break and saw what floor he was on, so she ran back down to find him. Kong Li was right in that he had gone through a window, but it wasn't his choice.

Counting doors from the stairwell she found the room, but the door was locked. Suppressing a coughing fit, she kicked the door in and saw Tobey was just then trying to get up. His head under his bangs was bleeding into his white hair, his cheek and arms were cut, his knees bloody from landing in the broken glass and blood was actually dripping from his palm, cut when he put it out to protect his face.

"Tobey – oh no! You're hurt! But, can you run? We have to get out of here!"

"I can't come with you Sue – Kong Li is up on the roof with Sid – he can do terrible things to him if he even thinks I'm trying to escape."

Just then, through the broken window, they heard Sid screaming. "No! He thinks I left - he's hurting Sid already!" Tobey staggered toward the door, but Sue stopped him. "Okay then, run down to the front of the building - find Nana, I'll go save Sid." Sue ran back to the stairs before Tobey could answer her, but he had no intention of leaving. Instead, he followed her with the rope still tied around his waist, dragging behind him up the stairs.

Kong Li saw Sue appear in the doorway at the top of the stairs and growled at Sid, "Well looks like little Sue made it to our party after all."

Sid heard him but was in too much pain to even look for Sue. She called to Sid and ran toward him, followed by Tobey. Kong Li took the whistle out of his pocket and blew, hard and angrily, agitating the eel in Tobey's ear. "How dare you defy me!" he accused as Tobey screamed and covered his ear. He staggered sideways to the edge of the roof and Sue saw him. "Tobey – Don't move!" She called to him and left Sid to go catch him, but couldn't get there in time. Tobey fell off the roof - again!

Sue got to the edge of the roof, grabbed the rope with her already sore hands and took two quick loops around a broken pipe. Tobey fell until the slack in the rope tightened. Yanked abruptly to a stop by the loop around his waist, he gasped from the pressure of the rope cutting into his belly, but the pain from his ear was overwhelming and other than exhaling loudly, he was barely aware of his predicament. Screaming, he writhed at the end of the rope like a fish on a hook. Sue yelled, "Tobey! Stop moving!" but yelling only made her cough harder, and the rope slid a few inches at a time through her hands.

Sid could still hear Tobey screaming, and with Kong Li's attention on him, the pain he felt was easing up, so he cried weakly; his voice strained, "Kong Li – stop hurting him - you've lost!"

Tobey stopped screaming finally, but not because Kong Li stopped, he got quiet because he fainted. Sue couldn't pull Tobey up by herself, so she tied the rope off securely, but before she could get back to Sid, Kong Li attacked him. Weakened from the cold rain, the pain and all the climbing, Sid wasn't much of a match for him. He punched him in the stomach really angering the leach and Sid went back down.

Sue wasn't much of a match for him either, alone and suffering from her bad cold, but she was very determined to protect Sid and attacked Kong Li. He grabbed her wrists and laughed maniacally. He tried to kick her legs out from under her and she coughed in his face.

"Yuck! Cough on your cuff girl!"

"Hey whatever."

Sue fell back, and took Kong Li with her by holding onto his cape. With a kick using both legs, Kong Li went over her head and fell off the roof. Falling passed Tobey, he tried to grab onto the same rope, but missed. Sue and Sid could hear him scream on the way down, but there seemed to be no sudden stop.

At least when Kong Li stopped screaming, so did Sid. Sue helped him stand up and they ran to pull Tobey up. They saw he was still at the end of the rope, but now he was just hanging limply, face-down, still passed out.

"Oh no! Kong Li said that thing could get in his brain and kill him!"

"What thing?"

"Never-mind lets just get him up here!"

Sue could hardly help Sid pull Tobey up, for having to cough and trying to breathe. With all the activity and being cold, soaked to the skin, her symptoms were rapidly getting worse.

[[[[[[[[[[[[[[[

Tobey continued . . .


	3. Chapter 3

Cause and effect

Chapter 3

Request story for Wolfiestarr. She didn't request it, probably cause she knows I'm not fond OCs, but I chose to put Zoey, Jenna, May, Ashley and Riley in the story. They belong to Wolfiestarr, on DA, Fan fiction dot net and TDfan. They are support charries anyway, only there to make an impossible situation even worse.

I hope you enjoy this story :D

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nana got to the rooftop just in time to see Sid and Sue pulling Tobey over the edge and back onto the roof. "Kid's! What happened?" Sue tried to answer, in spite of her coughing fit. ". . .cough-cough – Kong Li – cough-cough - Tobey's unconscious – Sid is hurt cough-cough"

"Where is Kong Li?"

"He fell off the roof."

"I never saw him fall, or land on the street below when I was on my way up here. Stay on your guard children. What happened to Tobey?" Nana thought since he was unconscious, that he might be the more seriously hurt of her three kids.

"Kong Li put some kind of nasty creature in his ear." Sid answered, neglecting to mention that Kong Li did something really nasty to him too. Nana turned Tobey's head to the side and used her phone to try and see, but all she saw was clotted blood. "Oh no! That monster! I never thought he'd be so cruel!"

"What Nana? cough-cough."

"I found the creatures that Kong Li was experimenting with in the tunnel – I think Tobey has a small eel in his ear! Very painful!" She took a jar filled with liquid out of her bag and used an ear dropper to drip some of the liquid in Tobey's ear. The eel thrashed and made a trickle of blood run out, but it quickly shriveled up and the fins folded flat again so Nana was able to remove it with tweezers; she had them in her bag too.

"Will he be okay now Nana?"

"I hope so. It looked like Kong Li was cooking up more than one problem for you three though."

"Nana! He was in such pain, and there was blood! Are you sure he'll be okay?"

"I don't know yet Sue, how did he get all these cuts?"

"He fell through a window, the glass broke." She coughed again.

While Sue explained, Nana parted Tobey's bloodstained hair to check his head. He woke up groaning. "Owww, what happened?"

"Tobey did you bang your head, or just get cut?"

"I don't remember banging my head, but then I guess if I did bang my head, I might not remember, right Nana?" Tobey grinned mischievously. Nana ignored him, "I think he'll be okay, but Sue, you shouldn't be out here at all!"

Sue coughed right then, as if to prove Nana right. "I'm okay, cough-cough - I had to come, if I hadn't been here . . ." but then she remembered, something had hurt Sid too, bad enough to make him scream. "Sid - what did Kong Li do you you? Do you have one of those things in your ear too?"

"No, I . . . I have . . . he put some kind of creature he called a 'leech' in my mouth and it crawled down my throat – it was horrible. Kong Li said it would chew through my stomach and find my heart. It's impossible to get out – you can't reach it and Kong Li said it was 'attached' now." Sid looked so hopeless, Sue hugged him with one arm. Nana scolded him, "You should have told me right away, but come on, lets get out of the rain." Nana helped Tobey stand up and made Sue and Sid go first to get back inside the building.

"At least its a little warmer in here." Sue hugged herself and rubbed her shoulders, she barely managed to say it, before another coughing fit took control. Nana guided Tobey down so he could sit on the floor, and told Sid, "You, lie down on the floor – on your back."

"Lay on the floor? What are you going to do?" Sid sounded very nervous. Nana answered, "I want to see if I can tell if the leech is still in your stomach, or if it has moved."

While Sue held Sid's hand, Nana pressed gently with just her fingertips on different places around his belly. She had her eyes closed, trying to feel the creature and the damage. As she watched, Sue wondered if Nana was using magic somehow, because it seemed like she wouldn't be able to really 'feel' a small, soft creature.

Even though Nana touched very gently, Sid gritted his teeth and turned his head away, trying not to scream when she went anywhere near the upper left area of his abdomen. Suddenly Nana announced, "Good - It's still in your stomach."

"Good?"

"Good, because the same thing I put in Tobey's ear should work on the leech too, but it will taste nasty – you'll have to drink it."

"Okay, I guess it's better than the alternative. If its not still in my stomach, what would you have to do Nana?"

"Lets not talk about that unless it happens shall we? Drink up, this liquid will kill the leech, but then you will have to throw up or its decaying body will turn to poison if left in your stomach."

"I don't think barfing will be a problem, Nana. I've been sick to my stomach since Kong Li showed it to me." Tobey, Sue and Nana watched Sid drink from the jar. Tobey's hand went to his ear as he watched Sid and Sue saw him, "Tobey, how do you feel?"

"Okay I guess, but my head still hurts a little. What happened to Kong Li?"

"Cough-cough-cough - Kong Li fell off the roof, but disappeared. What was he trying to make you guys do anyway - cough-cough."

"He had us looking for some kind of mold that grows on the outside of buildings in the rain. It was stupid."

"I saw what he was hoping to find in his notes and I know that mold," Nana said thoughtfully. "Our master taught us about it, but even he said he had never actually seen any. But why would Kong Li want it I wonder? The mold is rare and has magical properties if you know how to use it, but it's usually used only in healing antidotes."

"Kong Li said he knew how to turn it into a gaseous cloud that would spread over Chinatown under your barrier and poison everyone." Tobey answered. "I'm glad we didn't find any."

"Urp - Oh no!" Sid cried suddenly, "I'm gonna throw up! But where are the restrooms?"

"Bro, its an abandoned building, probably condemned - pick a spot - any spot."

"That's gross!" Sid cried and ran for the roof. They all got up to follow him, just in case Kong Li might have come back and be out there thinking it fun to find one of them alone. Nana told Sue and Tobey to stay inside and ran out with Sid. Even outside, Sid still tried to find 'a place' to barf, like a puppy wanting to poop. He ran over to the edge of the roof and went to his hands and knees. Nana held on to his sides gently supporting him, and trying to keep him from falling off the roof he was having such violent muscle contractions.

Nana gave him a handkerchief to wipe his face and mouth off with before they went back inside. "Wow . . . I feel a lot better, but Nana, there was blood in what I threw up."

"I saw the blood, but there wasn't a lot. I'm sure that thing caused damage, if only from the amount of pain you described. Ginger tea should help make your stomach feel better, but not right away. We'll wait and see if you still feel nauseous even after we get you home, if you do we'll go to the doctor. A doctor will probably think you have ulcers even though you're very young."

"I could get ulcers worrying about what Kong Li is up to."

Tobey heard 'doctor' and interrupted, "But not me, right Nana? - I don't need to go to the doctor -my head feels a lot better" Tobey looked worried until Nana told him "probably not," meaning he 'probably' didn't have to see a doctor. "Eardrums are pretty good at healing themselves, Tobey, but you might not be able to hear out of that ear for a while."

"That's okay, it'll seem like Mr. Wu isn't yelling so loud then." When Tobey put his hand up to cover his ear, just thinking about what had happened, Nana exclaimed, "Oh look Tobey, hold still!" Tobey froze, Nana pulled his sleeve out flat on his arm and showed them all the sparkling green mold smeared on his sleeve from his wrist to his elbow.

"Hey buddy, look at that - you found some magic mold and didn't know it. How did that happen?"

"It must have gotten on me when I fell through the window, or just before; maybe on the edge or the windowsill above. I'm glad Kong Li didn't know I found some. He would have made me give it to him."

"Well, its still wet and might come in handy some time. Hold still just a little longer Tobey." He cooperated while Nana scraped as much as she could off of his sleeve, into a small jar.

Sid and Tobey had no jackets, and all of their clothes were wet. Sue was the only one who was still a little dry because of all the layers she put on under her raincoat and hat, but she was still shivering from fever. Tobey put his arm across her shoulders and felt her cheek with the back of his hand. "Sue! You're burning up!"

"I feel like I'm freezing to death – cough-cough."

"Come on kids, lets get Sue home and some hot soup in her." Nana guided all three toward the stairs, and it was slow going. After two flights of steps they couldn't stand watching Sue suffer so much and she was really unsteady on her feet so Sid scooped her up across his arms to carry her down. Sue yelped softly and weakly wrapped her arms around her brother's neck. It was scary being carried down stairs, but she didn't feel good enough to argue. Even after they got out of the building Sid carried her like he would carry her home, but much to their surprise and relief, a cab pulled up in front of them. Nana pointed, "Go on - get in kids, I called for a cab when I saw Sue was here, even though I told her to stay home."

"I had to Nana."

"Yes, as it worked out the boys really needed you, but now you will have to miss a few more days of school. I'm afraid your cold is going to get worse before it gets better now."

"It was worth it," she said softly and then coughed so hard, Sid had trouble holding onto her. He put her on the back seat and sat next to her with his arm across her shoulders.

Tobey saw his bike was already in the trunk and ran to the drivers side to get in the back seat with Sue in the middle. "Thanks sir! How did you know where to find my bike?"

"Mei Hua told me. I'm glad I could help."

"Sid, Sue, where are your bikes?"

"Mine's behind the bakery, where I ran into um . . . trouble." Sid reported cautiously in front of the cab driver.

"Mine was here - b-b-by the door." Sue cried.

Everyone looked back by where they had just come out and Sue cried. "Oh no! My b-bike's g-g-gone! Cough-cough . . ."

"Oh Sue, that's terrible. Don't worry, we'll find it for you." Tobey volunteered right away.

"Right now, you're all going home to warm up and get some rest. Well deal with your missing bike later, but driver, would you go by the bakery on the way home? We'll pick up Sid's bike if its still there." Tobey frowned. He put his arm over Sue's shoulders too. Only he was just a little shorter than Sid, and he wouldn't move his arm. So he poked him in the shoulder. Sid poked him back near his neck 'cause his arm was longer. Tobey poked then pinched him, Sid pinched Tobey harder and made him squeal.

Sue sneezed and elbowed both of them in their ribs, managing a weak smile.

Saturday morning, much later than anyone in the Wu house was used to waking up, Tobey and Sid woke up feeling a lot better than they had. Before they went to bed, Tobey put band-aides on all the little cuts he got from the glass. Nana wrapped the large cuts that really needed it, but he covered every little cut and was well on his way to looking like a band-aide mummy.

Sid was still lying on his bunk when Nana came in to check on them so sat on the edge of his bed to talk to him first, "How are you feeling Sid?"

"Pretty good, except for a stomach ache. I think its just sore muscles from the vomiting." Nana pushed Sid's shirt up and felt his stomach again. He winced a little but not anything like the night before. "Do you feel nauseous at all?"

"No, not nauseous; just sore."

"Your stomach feels okay now . . . no weird lumps. Eat soup and drink lots of liquids today. You look a little pale. I have some herbs that I will prepare and I want you to put some in everything you eat today okay?"

"Okay, thanks Nana."

"Tobey, how are . . . Oh, Tobey's gone. He must be feeling better."

"He bounced off of his bunk earlier like he felt great." Sid sat up slowly and started looking for clothes to change into. Nana went to the kitchen, thinking that would be where Tobey went first, but Tobey had gone to Sue's room to check on her. He knocked softly on her door and she only groaned as an answer. He opened the door slowly and looked inside, "Gee Sue, you look terrible."

"Thanks again Tobey. You know, if you keep saying that every time you see me, I'll get a complex."

"Sorry Sue, I just meant you look like you feel terrible, you're beautiful no matter how sick you are."

"Aw, thanks – I think." Sue blushed and flipped the covers off. "I'm feeling a little better, I'm gonna go get my bike." Sue coughed and coughed after she sat up. Tobey waited patiently for Sue to stop coughing. "That cough sounds terrible. You should stay in bed - we don't even know where to start looking for your bike."

"My nose isn't even running; well, my chest hurts from all the coughing, but I'm sure its just the bodies way of getting rid of the last of the cold. Besides, you don't know – but I know where to start looking for my bike – I will start with Zoey. She was there last night with her friends. I saw them right after I saw Kong Li taking you and Sid to that building. I could have got to you guys sooner if they hadn't interfered. I bet they followed me and took my bike, just to 'get me back' like they said they would."

"Then let me and Sid go. We'll get your bike back if they have it."

"No, Sid might be injured inside, and anyway, I won't let them think I sent you because I was scared of them! I'm going, get out, so I can get dressed."

"Fine, I'll get out, but I'll go tell Nana."

"You better not." Tobey ran out in the hallway before she could grab him. When Sue came out in the hall she paused, holding her chest and coughing. Tobey heard her and came out of his room, already dressed too. "Okay Sue, I didn't tell Nana, but if you're going, I'm going with you."

"Fine, at least I'll know you aren't telling Nana or Sid."

Sue took Sid's bike and they rode side by side. "I know where Jenna lives. We can start there. And when we find my bike, I want you to let me handle it."

"Okay Sue, but I'll be there to back you up if you want me to."

They didn't have to go far; not even all the way to Jenna's house. The five girls were together like they always were on Saturdays, hanging out in front of the public library. Zoey was the only one sitting on a bike. Sue's bike. Sue and Tobey stopped next to each other down the sidewalk a ways from the entrance and Sue warned, "Stay here Tobey, and hold this." she took her red-striped shirt off and handed it to him, even though there was a cold wind blowing more rain into Chinatown. "But Sue?"

"I don't want to get Zoey's blood on it." Sue straightened her favorite sleeveless shirt out.

"But Sue – No blood! You're not supposed to fight them. Just get your bike back."

"I'll try to do it the easy way, but no promises." Sue said softly, and then turned to walk up to the girls. Zoey, Jenna, Riley, Ashley & May had seen Sue and Tobey ride up, and all were staring at her, smiling. Sue suppressed a cough and spoke loudly. "Alright you morons; you've had your fun. I want my bike back."

"Why are you coming to us for that? We don't know where your bike is."

"I knew you were all pretty dumb." Sue walked toward her bike and Zoey got off of it to stand in front of it. "Hey Yi, this is my new bike, what's the matter, jealous?"

"Zoey. I am taking my bike. Try to stop me and you'll be sorry."

Tobey saw that things weren't going well and got off his bike just in case, carefully placing Sue's shirt on his bike so it wouldn't touch the ground. He took a step or two forward to be closer, thinking that when Sue needed him, she would need him fast.

May and Riley saw him get off his bike. May smiled and batted her eyelashes at him. Tobey cringed. "Ew," and looked back at Sue and Zoey.

Sue reached for her bike and Zoey blocked her with her body. Sue sighed and with a twirl went right around her like a football player. Zoey lost her temper and swung at Sue. She blocked, palmed Zoey and stuck her heel in Jenna's stomach as she tried to hit her from behind again.

"Your really good at trying to hit people from behind – you coward!"

"Shut up Yi!"

Tobey still stood still, knowing if he ran into it now, Sue would probably punch him out too, and she obviously didn't need him yet. May was still watching him and when he didn't run over toward her to get in the fight, she ran to him. "Hey Tobey! Whats with all the band-aides? Come on- let me kiss the boo boo!" Tobey screamed and got behind his bike. "Don't touch me you crazy girl!"

"Come on, if you won't date me, then fight me!"

"I don't hit girls – and I'm not dating you."

"Well then beating you up should be easy and then I'll make you go on a date with me." She ran at him, and he jumped up on the top of the fence that went in front of the library to get away. He ran it like a balance beam and flipped up and over the gate when she made a grab for his leg.

Unfortunately when Tobey had a second to glance at Sue, he saw that she was down, under Zoey, Jenna and Ashley; Riley didn't know what to do, and just stood there as Zoey and Jenna nearly flew through the air when Sue pushed them off. A palm to the shoulder made Ashley roll away crying. "Ow, that hurt and you got my shirt dirty!"

"You're in a fight – duh. If you don't get a little scuffed, you aren't doing it right."

Sue grabbed Zoey's wrist and flipped her over her hip, right into Jenna and put them down again. Ashley started to back up, but Sue started coughing and it distracted her for just an instant, Ashley punched Sue right in the middle of her back and made her suck in her breath, which made her cough violently. Jenna grabbed Sue from behind and Zoey punched her in the belly. Every time she coughed she experienced pain that kept her down for Zoey to kick her in the ribs. Sue hurt so bad she thought just one more kick might kill her.

Tobey jumped over May's head and ran to help Sue. But Riley saw him coming and tripped him. He scrambled to get up, but May and Riley grabbed his arms. "Let me go – or I'll break my rule and fight girls!"

"Come on Tobey lets see you."

"Ahhhhh!" Tobey flipped both of them at once and body-slammed Zoey with no further hesitation. He and Zoey fell off the curb and rolled into the street - right in front of an oncoming black van! Sue twisted away from Jenna and ran to try to save Tobey but Jenna was still determined to keep her down. Tobey got up, but stopped to help Zoey, he pushed her out from in front of the van, but Tobey was struck instead.

Hit so hard he fell and actually slid on his back a few feet before he lie, unmoving on the pavement. The driver slammed on the brakes, the tires squealing to a stop, just before the front tire ran him over. When the van stopped, the side door slid open and shape-shifter tentacles shot out and grabbed Sue. Tobey lie unmoving in the street in front of the van. Zoey left him there and ran back to the sidewalk to rejoin her friends, just in time to see Kong Li step out. They all gasped in horror when they saw Shifty's tentacles grab Sue, and got even more frightened when the scary man spoke to Sue, knowing her name.

"Well little Sue Yi - looks like I will get your help after all. Tell your little friends you'll have to play with them some other time – if you survive! Mwahahaha!"

Sue struggled in the tentacles. "Ahhhh! Let me go! Tobey! You hit Tobey!"

"He should have gotten out of the way." Kong Li looked at Tobey, and for a very brief instant, Sue thought he might have had a look of concern for his son on his face. Unfortunately his moment of concern didn't last, and he proved that he had no compassion in his heart – not even for Tobey, supposedly his only family.

The girl-gang, who thought themselves so tough ran away screaming when Kong Li looked at them. Except for May, who watched Sue being dragged into the van, followed by Kong Li and saw where Tobey was lying in front of the van. When the van started to move, May ran in front of it, dived on top of Tobey and rolled to the side with him in a bear hug just in time to almost get hit by a blue car going the other way.

May got up fuming and cursing at the driver. "You jerk! You see us about to get run over and keep on coming to run over us yourself? Moron!" May kicked the offending blue car's rear bumper as the driver sped away.

"Jack-ass! Almost HIT MY TOBEY!" May lifted him under his arms and pulled him back up on the sidewalk so he wouldn't be hit by another car, but moved him, not knowing whether or not he was injured.

Once she pulled him up, over the curb she kneeled down next to him, found his phone in his pocket and using the quick-dial, happened to call Sid. She practically yelled into the phone, "Hey-Sid! You better get down here! Your sister was kidnapped by some old man wearing a cape and your skinny friend just go hit by a van – right in front of the library!"

Without giving Sid a chance to say anything, or identify her, she hoped, she put Tobey's phone on his chest and ran in the same direction that Zoey and the others had gone.

Rain started to pour down, and event the large raindrops splashing on Tobey's face, didn't wake him up.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tobeeeeee continued . . .


	4. Chapter 4

Cause and Effect

Chapter 4

Request story for Wolfiestarr. She didn't request it, probably cause she knows I'm not fond OCs, but I chose to put Zoey, Jenna, May, Ashley and Riley in the story. They belong to Wolfiestarr, on DA, fan fiction dot net and TDfan. They are support charries anyway, only there to make an impossible situation even worse . . . mostly.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Seconds after the brutal kidnapping of Sue Yi, and the 'hit and run' that put Tobey down, a small crowd gathered. Chinatown's local residents didn't know what had happened to Tobey or what his condition was as they gathered around him. Two of the first people curious enough to go to him, just stared; unsure what to do. No one who was out on the street had actually seen him get hit by the van. He was lying on the sidewalk, where May left him after she pulled him to safety.

"Hey . . . kid?" A young adult male leaned down and touched Tobey's shoulder gently, like he was trying to wake him up from a nap. A woman leaned down and asked, "What do you think happened to him?"

An elderly male answered, "Even as weird as kids are today, they don't usually lie unconscious on the sidewalk unless somethin's wrong with 'em."

"Maybe he's in a gang and got shot?"

"But there're no holes in 'im. He must have overdosed."

"Other than just lying on the sidewalk, he looks pretty healthy though, looks to healthy to be on drugs."

"Maybe this was his first time – isn't there a way to check his eyes or something?"

The young man leaned down to check him closer. "He looks a little beat up; there's a bruise and a cut on his head . . . maybe his girlfriend caught him cheating?"

A third person showed up and joined into the speculation. No one in the crowd actually did anything to help him! They just stood over him guessing what was wrong.

Nana and Sid rounded a corner and saw the crowd in front of the library. "Sid! That must be where Tobey is!"

"Tobey loves a crowd to gather around him, most of the time, but somehow - I don't think he's enjoying this." Sid started running faster even before Nana did. He pushed his way through the small crowd and found Tobey in the middle. "Oh Tobey!" Nana cried and kneeled down next to him. "Did anyone see what happened?"

While a few people unhelpfully mumbled, "No," and "I didn't see anything," Nana felt for Tobey's heart and respiration rates, mumbling, "Fast and shallow, but he's alive."

She quickly covered him with a blanket that someone handed to her. The rain had stopped, but he was still soaking wet. She looked his arms and legs over but found no other injuries, other than his head.

Feeling for his pulse again, she announced, "Sid, he seems to have a head injury - hopefully, nothing else is wrong – but I still don't want to move him – why isn't an ambulance here yet?"

"I called – an ambulance should be here at any minute."

Sid whispered, "Nana! What's happened here? Where's Sue?"

"I thought Kong Li still had more of his plan cooked up for you three, and it looks like he's serving it now."

Sid whispered, close to Tobey's ear so no one in the crowd could hear him. "Tobey, please, wake up – please be okay - quick – I'll need you to help me rescue Sue!"

Sid gently found Tobey's hands. He placed them on his stomach under the blanket. "Your hands are so cold. - Nana? Where is the ambulance?"

"They said its coming, I'll call and see."

Sid brushed Tobey's bangs to the side so he could see the cut and lump on his head, and thought it looked even bigger. Sid realized that his chest hurt and turning away from Tobey, he coughed, violently, suddenly and for no reason.

"Sid! You better not be getting sick too!" Nana cried.

"I'm not – I don't know where that come from."

Everyone turned to look down the street when the ambulance, with siren's blaring turned from a side street. Sid looked back down at Tobey, with concern for his friend, but he was trying hard to hold back the mysterious urge to cough.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Shifty held Sue with heavy tentacles, while he chained her. He had her wrists over her head, chained to a large pipe running along the ceiling. They had brought her to a very old warehouse. The windows were broken out letting cold air blow through, and the ceiling leaked so much it was like it was raining inside.

Sue struggled, but couldn't fight back much. She was weak from being sick and already sore from having to cough to much. She begged instead, "Let me go – please – you know Nana will save me anyway!"

"Not likely, we went through some inconvenience to invite you three here again . . . and my stupid son, had to run out in front of the van to save that girl. He's way too dumb to be my son, not that I care that he got run over so much, I just wanted to end his miserable life myself since I brought him into this world – only to have him be such a disappointment to me."

Sue wasn't listening, she was still thinking about what he said about Tobey being hit by a van. "What happened - what happened to him?"

"Who knows . . . who cares? Now, I was going to use my magical pets on you too, like I did on Tobey and Sid, but Mei Hua destroyed my other lair, took the spells off of them and released the creatures back into the ocean."

"Good! Nana will never let you win!" Sue cried, trying not to show how scared she was. She remembered what Nana had to do to save Sid and Tobey from Kong Li's 'pets' and it was awful. She was secretly thankful that he wasn't going to do that to her at least, but he continued speaking.

"You will still help me. The same principals will work in this situation. Tobey and Sid cooperated to try and spare each other some suffering. They will do the same for you, or at least Sid will, if Tobey didn't survive."

"No they won't! They won't get you the cookbook! Ever!" Sue struggled hard, and it made the chains attached to her wrists jangle. Kong Li walked toward her and to her surprise, held up a 5" by 7", color photo of Sid in front of the arcade.

"Why do you have a picture of my brother?"

"Through his photo, he will see and feel how you are suffering. He will understand how urgently he needs to cooperate with my requests so he can save you. Or at least, I'll let him think he can save you until he gets me what I want! Mwahaha!" He held the photo toward her and sprinkled it with green herbs that sparkled when they landed on it. Sue moved so fast - he didn't even see her kick. The chains holding her wrists jangled as she kicked the photo out of Kong Li's hand.

Kong Li roared, "Shifter! I told you to chain her up – get back over here and finish the job!"

Kong Li picked up the photo and wiped the mud from the floor off of it. The magic herbs fell away too, but he had more herbs. Poised to start the spell again, he watched the shape shifter correct his oversight. Sue screamed and kicked, but Shifty grabbed her ankles with his tentacles, staying back far enough that she couldn't kick him in a more tender spot. He stretched her legs down, putting even more strain on her wrists and shoulders and then once she was chained, wrists and both ankles, he turned a crank on the wall one more click and made the chains even tighter. Sue screamed, thinking even her spine would actually separate. Screaming made her cough violently, and with her body stretched like it was, she couldn't cough hard enough to rid her lungs of the infection that was already growing.

The infection had started with her cold, and not taking care of herself like Nana had told her to, her illness was quickly becoming pneumonia. The frigid air in the warehouse and her wet condition from being out in the rain didn't help. If Kong Li knew how sick she already was, he might have hurried, to torture her more before she became too ill to do his bidding.

Sue became so frustrated, in addition to her discomfort that she had tears running down her face when he came back to stand before her with Sid's photo again. "No time for tears, little Sue Yi - we have work to do."

"No! I won't help you – ever!"

"You dont' have a choice in this, and Sid will do what I say to save you. He will soon be very aware of your situation."

"What do you mean? You leave him alone!" She screamed and coughed, the coughing becoming more like spasms that prevented her from breathing.

Trying not to scream, she still involuntarily whined, and that made her feel like she had to cough too. A sharp, sudden pain went through her chest and she went limp in the chains, her chin on her chest.

"Well passing out takes some of the fun out of it for me, but not to worry, the spell will still work – your brother will remain conscious, no matter how bad you get."

Kong Li left the photo tucked into her shirt. "Shifter! Watch her, come get me when she awakens."

"Yes master." Shifty replied. Kong Li stomped up the metal steps to another room where he was cooking something else foul, in a boiling pot.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Back at the scene in front of the library, the ambulance was pulling up, but Nana was watching Sid, now concerned about him as much as she was her other two children. She saw him cross his arms over his chest. "Sid, are you alright?"

"Yeah. My chest hurts all of a sudden . . . Owww." he groaned, pressing his arms tighter against his ribs. "No! Nothing can be wrong with me! I have to find Sue!"

When Sid said his sister's name, an image of her flashed before his eyes. A very unpleasant image of her, with her arms streched over her head, a pained look on her face. She was coughing and looked awful. Sid cried with surprise, "Sue!" To the crowd it looked like he was staring intensely at something or someone in front of him, but there was nothing there.

He jumped up to his feet and cried, "Mei Mei! Where are you?" like he was actually calling to her. In his mind he was calling to her. He could see her as clearly as if she were right in front of him, throuh the photo. He was seeing what Kong Li was doing to his sister and feeling what she felt.

"Sid, no – are you seeing Sue?"

"Ow! Yeah – Nana! Kong Li is torturing her!" Sid screamed and clutching his chest, he went back to his knees. He had felt the pain Sue felt, that caused her to pass out.

"Sid!"

Nana yelled. The paramedics ran toward Sid, telling him to calm down, and lie down, Nana interrupted – "No – your patient is over here! I'll take care of him – his just, um – upset!"

The paramedics changed places with her, kneeling around Tobey and setting up their equipment while Nana went to Sid.

"Sid, I think Kong Li is using the magic image spell to allow you to see and feel what Sue is experiencing."

Sid took a deep breath and stood up. "The pain in my chest is gone now. You mean I was feeling what Sue was feeling – as it was happening to her?"

"Yes, and since the pain is gone, Sue might have . . ."

"Nana No! Don't even say it – I have to find her!"

"Go Sid – I will stay with Tobey until you need me – don't take Kong Li on alone okay? Call me when you find Sue."

"Yes Nana."

Sid reluctantly left Tobey in Nana's care, and went looking for Sue. On his bike, he made good time, covering a long distance very quickly. He checked the two warehouses that Kong Li liked to use as hideouts the most. He found the cage where Kong Li once kept a tiger, just to scare the poor thing. Then he found where he had kept Sue and Tobey once before, but no one was there either, dust covered every surface that Kong Li had once kept clean so he could cook his magical potions.

Finding the door locked on the next building Sid visited, he climbed up to look in the windows. These were the same windows where the three had once climbed out after Kong Li locked them inside when he went to battle Nana so they couldn't help her. They had passed out from the heat when Kong Li was trying to bake all of Chinatown to a crispy brown. Tobey slipped and almost fell off the roof while they were making their escape that time. From that height he would have surely been killed. Sid remembered how scared Tobey looked when he and Sue grabbed him as he fell, and it made him climb more carefully.

Sid knew he was probably Sue's only chance. "If I fall and hurt myself now, all will be lost – too many people are counting on me!" He sat down and held onto one of the window's edges for a minute before he started climbing down. He was disappointed and yet confusingly relieved, that he found no one at that warehouse either.

Pedaling through the streets of Chinatown, he couldn't think of where else to look; he spoke out loud to himself. "Maybe at the wharf? I don't know! I wish Tobey were here – he always seems to know where Kong Li is - like he can sniff him out or something. Well, the hospital is only two blocks from here. I'll go by and see if I can find out how he's doing. Maybe he or Nana'll have an idea of where I can look for Kong Li next."

On the way to the hospital, Sid felt the overwhelming pain in his chest again but somehow managed to keep going.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

In Kong Li's hidden lair, it was dark, damp and cold. Sue awakened, but could barely struggle at all for the terrible pain she experienced.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

In a cold, plainly decorated white hallway, the doctor spoke to Nana, "Your son has a concussion, but were not sure how severe his injury is. He has regained consiousness already and that is a good sign."

"Thank-you doctor. Can I take him home? He really hates hospitals."

After we get the results back from the last tests we ran, if he is feeling okay, we will send him home under your care Mei Hua."

"Since he's awake - Can I see him?"

"Sure, but please go to admitting first and fill out the paperwork for payment and the permissions for the treatments we're giving him. I'm sure he'll be fine for a few minutes on his own."

"You dont' know Tobey like I do – if he's awake and feeling better – you'll want to have someone watching him."

"Don't worry, I'm sure the nurses can keep him quiet until you can get back to visit with him."

Sid came in and asked at the emergency desk, "Can you tell me where Tobey Hua is?"

The nurse told him that Tobey was still in a treatment room on the second floor. Sid caught the elevator thinking it would be faster. He didn't know he had just missed seeing Nana.

Sid sneaked into the treatment area without permission and without seeing anyone. He was overjoyed to find Tobey awake and had trouble remembering to keep his voice down. "Tobey! I'm so happy your awake! How are you?"

"Okay - I guess Sid. My head hurts a little and they said I broke a rib on the van's bumper - but Nana told me what happened to Sue – did you find her yet?"

"No, and I can't think where else to look. I was heading for the wharf next, but the hospital was on the way. I was worried about you too."

"I'm fine, and now I can help you look for Sue! My clothes are in that plastic bag in the corner."

Sid handed Tobey the bag, with two fingers. "Your clothes stink buddy."

"Well they were already wet – and the nurses put them in a plastic bag. I can't help it." Tobey got up and started pulling his clothes on.

"Sue won't mind if you stink when we rescue her. Tobey. . . Kong Li is doing terrible things to her, like he did to us. Nana thinks hes using some kind of magic that makes me able to see and feel what she is experiencing – and it's bad!"

"I know, I'm ready lets go."

"We have to tell Nana."

"No time to find her – I'll leave her a note on the bed. Lets go."

"Are you sure you're up to it?"

"For Sue – sure I am, they said an hour ago that they would release me if I was feeling okay – and I'm feeling okay. Let's go find Sue."

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

As a short cut, Tobey led Sid through the window and they climbed down. He agreed with Sid that the wharf should be checked next, and he already knew the warehouse he wanted to check out first.

[[[[[[[[*s*t*a*r*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Nana was on her way back to the room when a nurse stopped her. "Oh Mei Hua, we've decided to keep Tobey tonight and then, probably, release him tomorrow. He has a more severe concussion than we first thought. The doctor is worried about blood clots forming in his head and wants him on medicine and monitored for at least 12 hours. I'm sorry, you didn't tell him he could go home did you?"

"Well yes, he'll be disapointed, but he'll understand. I will need to leave if you think its alright, I have two other kids to care for, and they are having a hard time right now too – but I need to see Tobey first."

"Its after visiting hours, but I told the nurse to let you see him again for a short visit. The doctor said it's safe to give him a little something for pain tonight and it will help him sleep. He won't even know that you're gone if your worried about him being scared alone."

"Oh no, he won't be scared, but he is prone to mischief. Your staff will have a quieter night if he stays asleep." Nana smiled weakly at the nurse as they parted ways. She continued down the hallway to Tobey's room, but instead of Tobey, she only found the note.

~I've gone with Sid to find Sue, - feeling fine. We'll call you Nana.~

"Oh no, Tobey . . . your in no condition! You should have let me help Sid!" Nana cried out loud, like she expected him to hear her.

Tobey stood on the back of Sid's bike while he pedaled to the wharf. He stopped where Tobey told him to, and they both jumped off enthusiastically, even though Tobey had a rather severe headache. He hid his pain well as they crept silently down the side of the building and through a cluttered alley between buildings. The alley was strewn with trash, old equipment and overgrown with weeds. There was barely a path through it all and they had to be extra careful to be quiet.

The side door was unlocked, and there were wet footprints leading to the door before them. Someone had been there just since the rain stopped and the prints were still wet. Sid gave Tobey a quick glance and Tobey nodded, still smiling mischieviously before they went in.

There were candles burning and the recognized the smell of familiar incense they knew Kong Li burned while he was conjuring his evil spells. Since Kong Li was there someplace, they were sure Sue would be there too. They moved through the cluttered warehouse very quietly and carefully, trying to keep the element of surprise on their side. There was no sign of Kong Li or his shape shifter, but in the darkest corner in the coldest area, they found Sue.

Whispering, frantically to each other, and to her they hurried to get her loose. "Sue - Oh no."

"Tobey! Find the key to the cuffs!"

"Sid, what do you think Kong Li did do her? Maybe a leach, like he gave you – I don't see anything in her ear."

"Sid was pulling at the chains that held his sister's wrists. "I don't know, but she's freezing! - where's the key to her cuffs?"

"We don't need a key, Sid." Tobey took something small out of his pocket. It was dark and Sid couldn't see what he had or what he did, he did it so fast, but Sue's legs were free first. Then Tobey stood up and found he couldn't reach her wrists. Sid had already scooped her up in his arms, holding her up enough to take the strain off of her arms. Tobey came right back with three of Kong Li's large books and stood on them in a stack to reach Sue's arms. "Hold tight Sid." Tobey warned. Rather than let her arms fall, Tobey placed each of her hands gently on her stomach as he took each cuff off – even though they were trying to hurry. Sid hugged Sue tightly and whispered to her, but she didn't wake up.

Sid stopped him, "Tobey – who knows what Kong Li did to her – we have to get her to Nana!"

"Why is she fainted, Sid?"

"I don't know! Come on – help me!" Sid handed Sue to Tobey to hold while he took his heavy, long sleeved shirt off to put it on Sue. He woudln't let Tobey put her down while he put it on her, gently guiding each of her hands through the long yellow sleeves. Then he took her back from Tobey, "Tobey are you alright?" he asked when he saw how tired Tobey looked. "I'm okay!" Tobey answered, while he looked at Sue, "Listen to her trying to breathe Sid! It sounds like she can hardly get any air!" Tobey held one of Kong Li's lit candles near her face so they could see her better. "Sid her lips are turning blue! We've got to get her to the hospital – now - Go!"

"Call Nana on the way Tobey! She'll get an ambulance to meet us outside."

"I already tried to call her - no reception down here."

"Lets get out of her – then try again." Sid ran up a flight of stairs carrying Sue across his arms. "Right behind ya Sid."

On the first floor of the cluttered warehouse, right at the top of the stairs Tobey tripped in a pile of cable. He landed face down with an "oof."

Sid looked back to see Tobey trying to push himself back up, like he was doing a 'push up'. "Hurry up Tobey – and pick up your feet next time!" Sid cried.

"No problem Sid – go on – I'll catch up!" Even though he was standing again, Tobey was hesitating, holding his head with both hands. "Tobey come on! I'm not gonna leave you here!"

Tobey nodded and followed, a pained look on his face, but he was trying hard not to let Sid hear how much falling hurt him. He didn't hit his head again, but being jerked to the ground suddenly, made his head throb again and he was very dizzy. He gritted his teeth and followed Sid, keeping up until they got back to the alley.

He let out an involuntary yelp when he stopped suddenly, to hold his head again with both hands. Sharp pain shot between his temples and even down the back of his neck. "Ow." he groaned and leaned against a stack of tires.

"Tobey! What's wrong? You gonna make it?"

"Yeah Sid, just a headache." As if to prove he was lying, the pain dropped him to his knees, he held his head like it would fall off otherwise.

"Oh NO - Tobey! Get up! You have to - I can't carry you both!"

"I'm okay Sid, no problem – I'm right behind you." when Tobey got up, Sid turned to go on, but right away he heard Tobey fall again. With Sue still in his arms, he ran back. "Tobey!"

Both boys startled when the heard Kong Li roar with anger. "SHAPE SHIFTER!" He had returned and found Sue gone.

Sid whispered, "Tobey! Come on!"

"Sid you have to get Sue out of here! -Go on, find Nana! I'll just hide someplace until Kong Li goes away and its safe to follow. My head feels like it'll explode if I try to keep goin' now."

"Tobey -no! I don't want to leave you here alone!"

"You have to . . . you have to do it to save Sue! I'll be okay – I promise." Tobey looked away, scanning the area for a place to hide.

Torn between saving his best friend or his sister, Sid chose to save Sue, like Tobey insisted. "Be careful Tob', stay hidden – please don't get caught!"

"I won't get caught – go! I'll follow you soon; meet ya back at the hospital." Tobey forced a grin.

Sid squeezed his friend's shoulder before he very reluctantly, left him – but only because Sue was so seriously ill, he was afraid she might not make it.

Back about ten yards in the alley, Tobey found a disused air conditioning unit. Not many people in Chinatown had air conditioning and often, even those that did, didn't bother to replace them when they broke. After all, it was only uncomfortably warm for a week or two each year if at all, unless Kong Li was heating things up on purpose.

The unit was obviously broken, one of the vented side panels was lying next to it and the motor was only attached in the frame by one bent bolt. Looking at it, Tobey swayed and blinked, trying to keep the fog behind his eyes clear. He lined it up and kicked the broken motor over to make room for himself. That jarring movement hurt his head too. Seeing there was room inside, he turned around and backed into the narrow space.

Tobey didn't realize how small the metal box would be inside. With his claustrophobia, he immediately felt like he couldn't breathe and started to climb out again, but it was too late! He heard the dreaded footsteps as the villain stomped out of the warehouse. The sound of Kong Li's angry voice cursing at the Shape Shifter was scarier than being in a small space right then.

Tobey backed in and pulled his knees up to his chest. With his eyes closed, he tried to pretend he was on the beach, the breeze blowing through his hair, instead of in a small metal box. At least the sides were vented and he had his knees to rest his forehead on to try and steady himself. He was so dizzy, he swayed a little, even sitting down. He tried hard to control his claustrophobic reaction and at the same time he tried to wish the headache from his concussion away. He only panted harder, his breathing becoming audible, as both of his problems only got worse with fear.

Only six seconds after he got the panel back on the side of the unit, Kong Li stepped right next to the unit where Tobey was hiding. Tobey he heard Shifty talking too. "Look master, there's more than one trail of footprints in the alley, and both are from bigger feet that the girl. She had help to escape! One of those boys must have been carrying her."

Kong Li growled back, "Those rejects have meddled in my plans for the last time! They won't survive long enough to do it again – my son will meet his end first!"

Tobey cringed, holding his knees tighter, he tried to hold his breath so Kong Li wouldn't even hear him breathing. He thought, 'No – my footprints will lead them right to me!' Tobey gritted his teeth forcing himself to stay still, even though he was terrified that Kong Li would find him and torture him again.

Look Master! Only one trail of footprints leads out of the alley! At least on of them is still here someplace!"

"Shape Shifter! I command you to find them!"

After that, Tobey didn't know what happened. He passed out and just by chance, instead of leaning against the loose panel and falling out, he leaned the other way, against the broken motor and stayed hidden – at least for a few more precious moments.

[[[[[[[[*]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey Continued . . .


	5. Chapter 5

Cause and Effect  
Chapter 5

Request story for Wolfiestarr. She didn't request it, probably cause she knows I'm not fond OCs, but I chose to put Zoey, Jenna, May, Ashley and Riley in the story. They belong to Wolfiestarr, on DA, fan fiction dot net and TDfan. They are support charries, only there to make an impossible situation even worse.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Sid ran out of an alley and found himself on a crowded street. He lost track of where he was and nothing looked familiar. There were people shopping and milling around between street vendors. A store was having a grand opening. Even though he was confused about where he was, he felt safer in a crowd. Sid put Sue down, kneeling with her to keep her head and back off of the wet sidewalk while he used his phone to call for help.

A few people looked at the teens on the sidewalk as they walked or drove by, but, no one stopped. Most folks were much too caught up in what they were doing to offer help, or even notice Sid and Sue. Nana answered Sid's call, even before her phone rang. "Sid! Where have you and Tobey been? You have to get Tobey back to the hospital!"

"I know Nana, but we found Sue and rescued her from Kong Li. She's in worse shape than Tobey, I think. I don't know what Kong Li did to her, but she can barely breathe. I'm really scared."

"I see you on Orchard Street. I'll be right there – but how's Tobey feeling?"

"He was feeling pretty bad."

"What do you mean was? How is he now?"

"I don't really know, he stayed behind 'cause he couldn't keep up with me. He sent me ahead to get Sue to safety and promised he'd catch up."

"Oh Sid, you mean he's alone right now? Tobey's head injury is very serious, much more serious than the doctors first thought!"

"But he promised he'd be okay! I left him hiding near where we found Sue! - what if Kong Li finds him!"

"Okay, Sid – stay with Sue – I'll be right there."

Sid repositioned his sister, hoping she could breathe a little easier, "Mei-Mei, can you hear me? – I know, probably not, but Nana's on her way with help – hang on okay?" Even though the area was poorly lit, Sid could see that his sisters lips looked bluish.

"Hang on Mei Mei; I don't know what I'd do without you." Sid held her head under his chin, hugging and rocking with her. After a few moments, he glanced back at the alley where he had come from, hoping to see Tobey any second, but had no such luck.

Someone else showed up instead. Five other female someones. It was Zoey and her gang. He set his jaw and watched them closely.

"Hey Sid, what's going on?" Zoey and the others sauntered up to Sid and Sue. Zoey laughed, "Sue get tired of riding around in the van with that old man?"

Jenna added, "Hey, maybe she drank a little too much or something! Hahaha."

"How dare you? My sister doesn't drink anything with alcohol - just go away and leave us alone."

Zoey added, "No way – were not going away. Jenna thinks your cute – I told her you would take her on a date."

"Zoey! Don't tell him that!" Jenna cried, and blushing, tried to hide behind Riley.

"Just go away." Sid sounded tired. He was still thinking more about Sue than any of the five bullies. "I blame you girls for Sue being in this condition - Sue was already sick, I heard you tried to give her your cold – and succeeded. Then you stole her bike. That was why she left home – to find her bike. I heard you were there when she got kidnapped so I know you already know what happened."

"We were not! We were no where near the library." Zoey said angrily.

"How'd you know it happened at the library then?"

"Shut-up Sid! Keep running your mouth and I'll close it with my fist!"

Sid put Sue down, gently and got up. "Not even all five of you could shut me up. Sue was sick – and exposed to stressful situations over and over because of you and got even sicker. Now she could die because of you!"

Zoey still argued with him. "You can't blame us!" but she didn't approach him, knowing he probably could take all of them at once.

"Why not? The cops are coming with the ambulance. After I tell them what you've done, I'm sure they will want to talk to all of you."

"No way!" Zoey and Jenna cried at the same time. Four of the girls took off running, but not May. She looked like she wanted to run with her friends, but hesitated. She sounded reluctant to say anything, even though she spoke. "Sid, I'm really sorry and I have to know - how's Tobey?"

"I don't know. He's lost somewhere in the city with a concussion."

"A concussion? You mean he hurt his head?"

"Yeah, he was hurt when the van hit him. I think he didn't know how seriously hurt he was when he came with me to find Sue. I regret leaving him alone so much I can't stand it, but now I can't leave Sue to find him until help arrives!"

"I'm sorry Sid - really." May cried as she ran away, wiping her eyes. She heard the ambulance siren getting close.

The tires squealed to a stop at the curb. Nana jumped out of the ambulance first, followed by two paramedics. She was at Sue's side before the paramedics even got their doors open.

"Sid! Have you heard from Tobey?"

"No, but he promised he'd be here! He said he'd follow as soon as he caught his breath and Kong Li left the area."

The paramedics came over and Nana made Sid back away a little so they could help Sue. Nana whispered, "Tobey could be in serious trouble Sid – even he didn't know how badly he was hurt."

"He knew Nana, I think he was in more pain than he admitted."

Sid watched the medics put blankets under Sue and over her legs. One adjusted the rate that clear fluid was running into her arm, through an intravenous line. He made it drip faster, until it was almost running in a steady stream instead of dripping.

Sid snapped himself out of watching the dripping in the plastic line like he was hypnotized when they pulled a gurney over. He watched them lift his sister onto the gurney. A metal box with lots of dials and lighted screens was placed next to Sue on the gurney. It was connected to a heart monitor.

Sid didn't lie to the gang of girls, the police really did show up, right behind the ambulance. An officer was directing traffic to go by, and another joined Nana and Sid on the sidewalk.

A female paramedic was on the radio, talking to the doctors at the hospital. She was relaying the information about Sue, and the officer reported in to let headquarters know that the Amber Alert issued when Sue had been kidnapped, could be canceled.

There was more equipment on the gurney around Sue. Another box of some kind was lying between her knees. Sid's thoughts were all jumbled up and he hated feeling so confused and helpless. As badly as he wanted to stay with Sue – he also wanted to go find Tobey.

The paramedic named Jim reported to the others that she was on oxygen and now here blood oxygen levels were rising. Sid wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but it sounded like whatever they were doing, was making Sue better. Sid finally took a deep breath as he turned to face Nana. "Tobey sacrificed himself so I could save Sue didn't he?"

"I think so, like his mother did when she protected him from Kong Li. Only now . . . like his mother, I'm afraid Kong Li will permanently 'banish' him!"

"No – I can't let that happen! Sue wouldn't want it that way - either!"

As if reading his mind, Nana told him, "Sue will understand why you left . . . Sid, go . . . go find Tobey. Everything possible is being done for Sue, and Tobey is still in trouble. I'll stay with Sue unless you need me."

"Alright Nana." Sid ran back down the alley without looking back, afraid if he did and saw Sue, he would cry.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

May ran through the alley to catch up to her friends. When she caught sight of them ahead, she cried. "Zoey stop!" They didn't stop so she yelled loudly, "GUYS WAIT!"

Zoey stopped. She impatiently rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips. "What, May?" the other girls stopped and put on attitudes too.

"Tobey's lost – and hurt! We have to help find him – I love him so much – he has to be mine!"

"No way. We have other things to do."

"Like what? . . . Look! I need you guys – I have to be with Tobey! Its not fair - that girl, Sue is being rescued right now – and Tobey is still out there, somewhere alone and hurt!"

Zoey rolled her eyes as she looked at Riley. "How about that crap? One of our own is going soft on us because of that skunk-headed creep."

"I want him for my own – Tobey and I will be married someday – I just know it!" May started sobbing hysterically.

Zoey rolled her eyes and started to walk away. "Come on you guys, let May find her boyfriend on her own. We were gonna go bully some quarters off the kids at the arcade."

Riley frowned, "I think she's right. We should help find the skunk-kid if we can."

Jenna joined in, "Where do you think we should start? We have no idea where they were when Tobey went missing."

"We can start back where we first saw Sid carrying Sue and backtrack." May quickly answered, hoping they were all listening and really willing to help. "Alright, I guess. Maybe we can cause some trouble along the way." To May's surprise, even Zoey said she'd come with them.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Kong Li was sitting on the discarded air conditioning unit that Tobey was hiding inside. He didn't know it though; he was still unconscious. Being scared, trapped and the head injury caused him to pass out even before Kong Li got close.

The shape shifter approached his master from further down the alley, trying to follow Sid and Tobey's footprints. Of course at this point, the footprints had been mixed up and partially erased by Kong Li and the shape-shifter's footprints and he was having no luck figuring out for sure which way they went. Kong Li yelled at him, "Shape-shifter! Why haven't you found them? Don't you dare let me down again! I'll turn you into the grease they use under the city buses!"

"But Master, the only clue I can find, while hard to see; the kid's footprints seem to stop and separate in this area – I think only one of them left this alley – the other should be here."

Kong Li stood up to take a look around himself. Suddenly he grinned evilly and kicked the air conditioning unit with Tobey inside. He kicked so hard that it rolled; the panels flew off and Tobey fell out, groaning.

"Good work Master!" the shifter kissed up.

Kong Li triumphantly strode over and picked Tobey up by his shirt front; Tobey moved weakly, as though nearly unconscious, and Kong Li shook him. Tobey groaned. Smiling wickedly, Kong Li slapped his face. In a sing song voice, he said, "Wake up my son – nap time's over." Tobey still didn't wake up but Kong Li spoke to him like he had. "I thought you died when the van hit you, m'boy – too bad. Shifter! Since he isn't dead yet, he may still be of some use to me. Prepare accommodations for him, in the basement where he will be harder to find. And make sure he doesn't have his infernal phone with him!"

"Kong Li, your son lives, isn't that good news? The prophesy can still come true!"

"It's neither good or bad, good that the prophesy can still come true as it was written, and also good that I get to kill him all over again. The down side is that I thought I was already rid of his annoying interference."

"I wonder what's wrong with him."

"He's scared of small places, hiding in there wasn't easy for him. He probably passed out he was so scared. He isn't usually so scared of me though, I thought he would have faced me rather than hiding in such a place."

"He knows he is no match for you my master."

"Stop kissing up. Go quickly. I expect you to have inescapable, extremely uncomfortable, accommodations ready for my son before I get inside with him. He will not escape as the girl did."

The Shape-shifter turned on his heel and quickly ran back toward the side-entrance to the warehouse. He ran by the area where empty chains hung, where Sue had been suffering and dying only minutes before. Shifty was frowning, trying to think of what to do with Tobey that would please his master.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Instead of carrying him gently across his arms, Kong Li put him over his shoulder and carried him like a sack of potatoes. Before Kong Li got back inside the warehouse, he realized there was a lump on Tobey's hip pressing into his neck, and he knew what it was.

"There's that phone of yours, my boy." Kong Li pulled Tobey off of his shoulder and tossed him roughly on the hood of an abandoned car nearby so he could find the phone. To be sure it was off, he took the battery out and threw the phone and the battery in different directions. While he checked his son's pockets for anything else that might get in his way, five teenaged girls came up silently and stood in a half circle behind him.

In his son's front pocket, Kong Li found a napkin with five hard, dried out shrimp that had been 'saved for later' and forgotten. He tossed them over his shoulder and Zoey cursed him, "Ew! What did you just throw at me?"

"What have you done to Tobey?" May cried anxiously.

"Get away from him!" Zoey grinned, thinking this mission might get interesting after all.

"Well now – who dares to try to sneak up on me?" Kong Li picked Tobey up again before turning slowly to face them. "If you know what's good for you, you will turn and leave very quickly, right now."

"You put him back down – gently – we're taking him with us!"

Instead of doing as the girls demanded, Kong Li held onto Tobey and sent a magical energy blast from the end of his red dragon staff. The blast made Jenna jump to the side. Not one of the girls backed down, in fact they got closer, seeing that they couldn't let him get inside the warehouse with Tobey.

Before Kong Li could open his mouth to make more threats, all five girls charged him. He got off another blast that hit the ground in front of Zoey. She jumped over it and kept running right at him. Trying to hold onto Tobey, Kong Li couldn't fight them all off. Ashley punched him right in the gut and Zoey put her knuckles right in his face. May was holding both of Tobey's hands in her own, trying to pull him away from Kong Li, who angrily pushed Tobey at them suddenly, needed both hands he reached under his cape for a sleeping spell.

May and Ashley caught Tobey, but feel back with him. He landed across their laps. Ashley quickly got out from under him to rejoin the attack. Tobey rolled off of her lap onto his back. May paused for a moment and brushed Tobey's bangs off his face. "Oh Tobey . . . hang on." May sat back down next to him and pulled him up in her lap to hold him.

"I don't know who you girls think you are, but you will be very sorry you interfered in my family business!"

Kong Li had his hand in his cloak looking for the magic vial containing the sleeping recipe to rid himself of all five annoyances at once. Sid came from the rooftop of the warehouse, yelling at the girls as he jumped down, "Look out!"

Sid landed on Kong Li before he could use his evil magic. The four girls took a few steps back. Sid and Kong Li landed on the ground; the vial flew out of his hand and broke against the building.

Kong Li push Sid off, rolling with him he wound up on top with his fingers around Sid's throat. "Well Sid – you're late. How's your little sister?"

Sid had no air to use to yell back at him. Jenna body-slammed Kong Li to get him off of Sid. He rolled over, coughing as the villain rolled into a pile of tires.

May wasn't even watching the fight. She was stroking Tobey's hair and cooing softly at him, as though he were a sleeping child in her arms.

Zoey, Ashley, Jenna and Riley ganged up on Kong Li again. They didn't give him time to fight back. Jenna grabbed a hubcap lying nearby and hit Kong Li in the head with it, while the others held him. After the third hit, Kong Li fell face first on the ground and stopped fighting. Zoey cheered, "Good job girls!"

Sid ran to May and Tobey, "How is he?"

"He's fine – Tobey's mine . . . "

"He doesn't look fine." Sid quickly stooped down to pick Tobey up out of May's lap. She met his cheek with her clenched fist. Sid growled angrily, "What's wrong with you? Let me take him!" May's punch didn't hurt much. It was more like a sparing punch from Sue during practice.

May blinked as though she woke up from a trance of some kind. She leaned back a little and let Sid pick Tobey up when he tried again. Sid took Tobey as quickly and gently as he could down the alley to the street. Zoey and Ashley beat him there and waved a cab down.

Sid got in the back seat with Tobey in his lap and said, "Hospital!" but before the girls closed the cab door, he added, "I'm glad you were here this time – I appreciate your help."

After the cab pulled away, May, Zoey and Ashley watched it go for a moment, but two of them ran away, joining Riley and Jenna. May stayed at the curb – watching, even though the cab was long gone.

The others found Kong Li was still lying face down on the ground. Zoey grinned, "Pants him girls!" Zoey and Jenna rolled Kong Li onto his back and pulled his black pants down, revealing polka-dotted pink and white underwear. They all squealed with laughter. Jenna handed Riley and Ashley permanent felt tip pens from her fanny pack. Each girl had a different brilliant color. Ashley yelled, "Doodle on him!"

So they started drawing their best works of art on Kong Li. Riley worked on the standard circles around his eyes and a mustache, and Ashley added circles with 'frowney' faces around his knee-caps. Zoey added flowers and butterflies everywhere his skin was showing. Ashley took his shoes and socks off of his feet and holding her nose from the stink, as a final touch, Ashley and Jenna painted his toenails bright red with nail polish that also came from Jenna's fanny pack.

To show their masterpiece to the world, it took all four of them to drag him out to the main street. They left him lying on the sidewalk where passersby would be sure to see him. May watched her friends, smiling, but clearly thinking about something else.

They stayed nearby for a moment, watching Chinatown's residents giggling as they walked by. Drivers in their cars slowed down as the went by, pointing and laughing. Thinking him drunk, the first patrol car that happened on the street, stopped and loaded him in. Under arrest on a 'drunk in public' charge, the officers laughed the whole time as they admired the artwork drawn all over the villain.

Later, when Kong Li awakened in a jail cell with other passed-out drunks, first thing, he saw the 'youthful' drawings all over his body. His scream of frustration could be heard all over Chinatown as he vanished in a puff of mist from another vial he had in a pouch around his neck.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Arriving at the hospital emergency room entrance, Sid tried to pay the cab driver as he stopped the car, but the driver waved him away, "Go - hurry! Take care of your friend." the driver instructed him.

"Thank-you sir." Sid replied quickly and carried Tobey in through the emergency entrance. A male nurse, happened to see him and recognized Tobey. He yelled across the hallway, "Doctor! Doctor – your missing head injury patient has shown up!"

Doctors and more nurses swarmed around Sid. They took Tobey from him, placed him on a gurney and wheeled him into a treatment room right away. One of the nurses knew that Mai Hua was already there and went to find her.

Upset and feeling frazzled, Sid was breathing so hard his chest hurt. Holding his arms across his chest with discomfort and despair, he backed against the wall in the hallway and slid down to sit on the floor right where he stood.

A female nurse with blond hair and fake eyelashes saw him as she came out of a treatment room. "No honey, not on the floor – someone will roll a gurney over you. Come lie on the couch in the waiting room until you catch your breath." She guided Sid by his shoulders toward the waiting room. But Sid objected, "But Tobey? . . . and what about Mei Mei! Is she okay? Is Nana still here?"

"I'll find out for you, but first lets make you comfortable, I want to be sure you're alright - you look like you just fought a pack of crazed monkeys, sweetie; are your parents coming?" The nurse was counting his pulse and checking him over as she spoke.

"I d-don't have p-parents, but my guardian, Nana is already here – with my sister. I think someone went to get her."

Just then Nana showed up at the waiting room door and saw the nurse helping Sid. He thought the worst when he saw Nana's sad expression.

"Nana – Is Sue?"

"Sue is still hanging in there – did you find Tobey?"

"Yeah, Tobey's here. Zoey, May and their friends found him first and kept Kong Li busy until I got there . . . Nana! Tobey wasn't conscious."

"Where did they take him?"

"He's in Emergency I guess, they hurried me in here."

At May's insistence, the girls appeared at the emergency room entrance and just stood there. For the first time ever, even Zoey looked shy. They were all wondering if they'd be allowed to stay after Nana or Sid saw them.

Nana saw them and reacted kindly, "Girls. Thank you for finding Tobey. I'm sure he and Sue will be as grateful as we are for your help."

"No problem Mrs. Wu. I'm sorry for the part we played in what happened to Sue and Tobey." Zoey offered, mumbling.

"What do you mean?"

Sid interrupted, "Nothing Nana, I'll tell you later."

"When they wake up, you'll tell them we were here right?"

"And tell them we're sorry." Ashley added.

"Of course." Nana assured them.

May spoke urgently, "Especially me – tell Tobey, I was here - okay?"

Nana smiled at her and nodded. The girls left, but as they went May stopped out of sight of the waiting room. Zoey looked at her and the others stopped too. "What are you doing? Come on."

"I'm not leaving my Tobey here alone. You guys go on."

"'Your' Tobey, since when? And no one is 'left alone' in a hospital – I've heard my mother complain about how they wouldn't leave her alone to sleep while she was in the hospital having that surgery."

"Yeah, you're acting all weird, May."

"Am not! Just go away. I'll call you later." May started back down the hall away from her friends.

Jenna and Riley watched her go. "She's lost her mind you know?"

"Yeah." Jenna agreed and left with the others.

The doctor came to the waiting room, and without saying anything, he motioned for Nana and Sid to follow him. He took them to his office close by. Thinking that no one ever came to a Doctor's private office unless there was bad news, really bad news, Sid was terrified and his hand was visibly shaking when he reached for a chair to sit down. Nana held his hand as the doctor started to speak.

"I'm sorry Ms. Wu . . . and Sid – we did all we could, but we couldn't save . . ." Sid interrupted, "No!" Tears were already rolling down his cheeks. He stood up quickly and Nana thought he was going to run from the room. She stood up with him, holding onto his hand tightly to make him stay with her.

"But Nana – Tobey – No! I never should have left him! I was too late getting him here! Fighting with Kong Li was too much for him!"

"I'm sorry son, there's been a little confusion. Tobey is still in radiology we don't know much about his condition yet. I was speaking about your sister." the doctor said grimly.

"But Doctor – I got her here fast – I left Tobey to get her here! She has to be alright~ the EMT's said . . ."

"I'm so sorry son, Sue's pneumonia was too severe – we couldn't even keep her alive with the machines, her lungs were full of infection and just couldn't process oxygen anymore."

"Can we see Sue; sit with her for a few minutes at least?"

"Of course, stay as long as you like. I'll come find you when we know more about your son's condition." Nana nodded and shook the doctor's hand before she left the office. Sid followed Nana into the hallway, but then held back like he didn't want to go. "Sid? . . . Sid - come on." Nana encouraged him.

"Nana – I don't want to. I don't want to see Sue now - you know; like that. As long as I don't see her, I can at least pretend that she's okay – that I didn't fail her. I don't want my last memories of her. . . like that."

"Aw- Sid, come on. It will be alright. Its important that we see her." Nana encouraged him, smiling gently as other visitors and hospital staff walked by.

"But Nana . . . how can you say it will be alright? Mei Mei's dead . . . " Sid spoke softly – like he didn't even want to say it out loud, he whispered, "Dammit."

Nana smiled kindly at Sid, but led him almost forcefully down the cold, white hospital hallway to the treatment room where Sue's body was still on the hospital bed; covered with a white sheet. Nana pulled a chair over to the bedside for Sid to sit down, but he didn't sit. Instead, he nervously pulled the sheet down and saw his sister's face. The sight of her made him break down. Crying, he leaned over her to talk to her. "Sue. I'm sorry." he moaned. Once again, Nana guided him a little forcefully to sit in the chair out of her way. She put her bag next to Sue on the edge of the bed and started unloading her ingredients.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

May cautiously wandered around looking for Tobey. She finally found him, being put in a hospital bed by two nurse's. Even though his face was hidden under his white forelock, she could still tell he was unconscious.

A nurse turned his head straight on the pillow and brushed his bangs out of his eyes. May involuntarily gasped and it made her hiccup, but no one heard her. Jenna came up behind May and spoke kindly, "He'll be alright – he has to be, right?"

"He was hit by the van trying to save Zoey – even though it was our fault Sue was there. It was our fault Sue was sick too. We shouldn't have stolen her bike – what were we thinking?"

"We were just teasing – having fun."

"Is this fun? Are you having fun now? I'm not. Is what we do for 'fun' ever fun for anyone else? What kind of weirdos are we, that we think causing trouble and bullying others is fun?"

May started to cry and Jenna led her away so they wouldn't be caught by a nurse and told to leave. They went to an empty waiting room in the opposite direction from where Nana and Sid were still with Sue's body.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Leaning forward in the chair, Sid had his head down; crying with his forehead on Sue's cold arm when he smelled something weird, like moldy mushrooms. He coughed and pushed his face down harder on Sue's cold arm, his nose pressed into the sheets so he wouldn't smell whatever it was. He was too upset to wonder what the smell was.

He thought at first he had to be dreaming, or imagining it, but Sue's arm suddenly felt very warm – almost too hot to touch. He rose up blinking tears out of his eyes and found his sister was enveloped in a warm, pink glow. He saw that Nana was smiling, watching him. Sid saw Sue's chest rise, as if taking a breath. Wiping tears off his face he asked, "Nana. What's happening?"

"See Sid? I told you everything would be alright. Its the mold Tobey found. My master was wise. He taught us that this mold could be poisonous, or as beneficial as we need it to be, if our intentions are good. Sue's pneumonia is cured. Her lungs are clear. Look how easily she is breathing."

"Nana, thank you."

"Thank Tobey. He found it, remember? This is what I scraped off of his shirt. A tiny bit was all it took. Sue will wake up soon with the only side effect being a really bad taste in her mouth."

"Nana - can it help Tobey too?"

"Its gone Sid, we only had a little. Tobey will have to recover on his own."

"But what if he can't? Can't you do anything for him?"

"Avoid thinking such negative thoughts. Tobey is stronger than he looks, or acts sometimes. Stay with with Sue; be here when she wakes up. She will probably need something to drink to get the bad taste out of her mouth."

"Where are you going, Nana?"

"I'm going to find Tobey, and the doctor who can tell me about his condition."

"Okay Nana. Thank-you for Sue . . . you know."

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

Tobey woke up slowly to a sensations of something being pressed over his lips. The heart monitor he was attached to, beeped faster when he realized someone was very close – too close. He brought his hands up to try and push whoever it was, away. Last he remembered, only Kong Li and his shape-shifter had been near him. He thought briefly that Kong Li was trying to kiss him, and gasped in horror. Then heard a female voice.

"MMMmmmm, Tobey! You're awake!" May cried, lifting herself off the edge of the bed, but still staring at Tobey with her face uncomfortably close to his face.

"May, what were you just doing?"

"Nothing much. You were rewarding me with kisses for rescuing you from some old man."

"I was unconscious! You were kissing me? Ew!"

"Of course, and you're welcome."

"Where's Sid? How's Sue?"

"Why do you want to know about her already? Is she all you can think about? I rescued you, and I've been at your bedside the whole time you were unconscious."

"Thanks, I guess – I don't even want to know what else you did while I was passed out. Was it a long time? Where's everyone else?"

"I hid in the closet the last time the nurses and doctors came in to check on you. I heard them talking . . . Guess Sue died - so that leaves you available for me. You love me now - don't you?"

"WHAT? Sue died? NO way!" Tobey tried to get up, but paused, holding his head. "Ow," tears welled up, and ran down his cheeks. May pushed him back down on the bed, and put one knee up, when Tobey opened his eyes again, she was over him. Smiling at him, like she was looking at chocolate dessert she wanted to eat.

"May - get off my bed - I have to find out what happened to Sue – it can't be true that she died."

"I told you, she croaked – I heard the nurse say so. I imagine Sid's pretty broke up about it, but you don't have to be – you have me know."

"Have you for what?" Tobey was oblivious, and also starting to feel angry. He started feeling around the bed for the button that would call the nurse. May found it first and threw it off the bed, where Tobey couldn't reach it. "Hey – what did you do that for?" May laid across Tobey's chest, trying to kiss him again. "Get off of me! Help!"

"Whats going on here?" Nana paused at Tobey's doorway.

"Mmmmm-nnn-Nana!" Tobey cried, his head hurt and he felt too weak to hold May off any longer.

"May. Get off of my son."

"No he's mine – we will be very happy together when . . ."

Tobey interrupted her, "Nana-mmm!" he turned his head away from May, "What's happened? She said Sue's dead!"

"No Tobey, Sue will be fine. Sid is with her." Nana sounded calm.

As she spoke she moved close up behind May, who was still occupied with trying to kiss Tobey.

Nana grabbed May's ear. With a 'pinch and twist', she pulled her off of Tobey, and all the way off the bed. May screamed angrily, "NO! LET ME GO! Owee-Tobeeeee – don't let her separate us!" May started swinging her fists at Nana. She just held her at her arms' length and since her arm was longer, and she was taller, May's fists came no where close to hitting her, but she kept trying anyway.

"Tobey, what's going on here?" Nana frowned at him.

"I don't know Nana – really! When I woke up a minute ago, she was on me. I think she was trying to kiss me."

"I did kiss you, and you kissed me back over and over! You love me - why are you denying it?"

"Nana, I don't remember I swear! When I woke up, she seemed to be entertaining herself – using me! Ew – for the first time, I think I want a shower."

"I wasn't using you for anything! I love you and you love me!"

Nana raised her eyebrow and spoke cautiously, wary of this girl's strange behavior under the circumstances. "May dear, you seem a little confused."

"No I am not confused! I saved you twice! Tobey, remember? Now you love me!"

"Twice? I'm sorry I don't remember. I've been out of it a lot lately."

Sid and Sue appeared in the doorway next. Sue still a little unsteady on her feet, but she insisted they find Tobey. She was so relieved to see that Tobey awake, she cried from the doorway, "Tobey! You're OKAY!"

May glared at her, and replied in a most threatening tone, "What are you doing here?"

Sue growled at May, "More important, what are you doing here?"

"None of your business! Go away tramp. Tobey doesn't want to see you!"

"What? . . . Sue – of course I want to see you! She's nuts – Nana? Can't you make her leave."

"I am not nuts and I'm not leaving!" May lunged at Sue, before Nana could get there. Tobey sat up in bed, just by reflex, but saw Sid was already taking care of May. He groaned, holding his head and laid back down. When he held his head, he noticed his arm was bleeding where one of the IV lines had pulled out. "Oh crud." he moaned and covered the bleeding hole with a wad of sheet.

Sid grabbed May's wrists and squeezed until she let go of Sue. He was surprised how hard he had to squeeze to make her let go. He didn't want to hurt her, but he was not going to let her hurt Sue. May argued, "No! She wants my Tobey! Cant you see? I won't let her have him!

"May, you're crazy. Tobey has loved Sue since we were little kids. All he knows about you is that you and your friends are mean to everyone else at school." Sid shoved her out of the room and pulled the chair with Sue in it, in front of the door. Trapped out in the hall, May pounded on the door and screamed for Tobey.

Sue got up and moved away. Sid sat down to keep weight in the chair so she couldn't open the door. "Sue are you alright?"

"Yeah . . . um . . . what did you mean, Tobey loves me?"

"Oh, um – Mei Mei – I just meant he loves you, I mean – I- like I love you too, I mean – w-we're all f-family."

They couldn't hear May yelling anymore, and the pounding stopped. Nana looked out; May was no where in sight. Sid went with Sue, over to Tobey's bed side. "Tobey I'm glad your okay."

"Do I look okay to you?" Tobey held up his bleeding arm, and pointed at his bandaged head, but he was smiling mischievously. They knew he wasn't really upset.

"The doctor said you would be okay, at least. All you need is some rest."

"Yeah Sue. Thanks, you looked pretty rough last I saw you - are you alright now?"

"Yes. Thanks to Nana and Sid, and the mold you found, Tob'."

"The mold? How did the mold help? It was poisonous! Kong Li wanted to use it to get rid of everyone in Chinatown."

"True, Kong Li would have used it that way, but if the person cooking with the mold has good intentions and wants to help others, the mold changes accordingly."

"That's good to know. Guess I heroically saved the day again, even though I was unconscious - huh?"

"Guess so buddy, what would we do without you?"

"I hope we never have to find out."

Nana interrupted, "Sid, come with me please, I want to go tell the doctor's that Tobey is awake now and tell them he pulled out an IV. I want to find out if they've seen May too."

"Yeah, that girl was having some serious issues."

"Come on Sid, you can't really blame her - all the girls go crazy for me – May just took it a little farther than most. She couldn't control herself - its my charm and handsomeness."

"Right Tobey, keep telling yourself that. But Nana, should we leave them alone?"

"We won't be far. They'll be alright." Nana motioned for Sid to walk in front of her. She glanced back inside just before she closed the door.

Sue sat shyly on the edge of Tobey's bed. The bed rail was already down or she wouldn't have sat there. "Its okay isn't it?"

"Is what okay?"

"Will I bother you if I sit here? Are you comfortable? Can I get you another pillow?" Without giving him time to answer, Sue got up, intending to go to the empty bed in the room and get him another pillow whether he needed it or not.

"Sue wait, sit back down . . . please. I like having you sit with me."

"Tobey did you hear what Sid told May?

"When? Just now? There were a lot of loud voices. My head was spinning."

"Sid said you've loved me since we were kids."

Tobey blushed. "I have, we grew up together, right? I love you as if you were my blood-related sister."

"Is that it? You love me like your sister. I think when Sid said that, he meant love in a different way."

"Different?"

"Yeah, different. Like you two are friends . . . and maybe you've confided in him about your feelings for me. Like maybe you feel romantic love for me. Silly huh?"

"No, not silly Sue. He's right, and you're right – I confided in him."

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Because, why would you like me that way? You're so beautiful. I was afraid you'd laugh at me . . . so . . . go ahead and laugh – lets get it over with." Tobey turned away.

"Tobey . . . silly." Sue said softly as she leaned down, parting her lips slightly as her face got close to his. She closed her eyes. Tobey gasped – it was to good to be true! "I knew it! I'm still unconscious aren't I?"

"What? . . . No – Tobey?"

"Wow, this dream really had me going there for a few minutes!" Tobey started pinching his own arm, above the blood smears from the pulled-out IV.

"Tobey! No – what are you doing?"

"Pinching myself to try and wake up!"

"Tobey, think about it. I was about to kiss you. Do you really want to wake up?"

"Oh. I see what you mean. Well. If you didn't mean it – it would just be too sad. I couldn't go on once I woke up and found out you really were laughing at me."

"Oh Tob." Sue smiled, "Does this feel like I don't mean it?" Sue pinned Tobey's shoulders to the bed and leaned with all her weight to hold him down. She turned her head and planted her lips on his, before she closed her eyes, to make sure she hit the mark.

Tobey tensed at first, a reaction to being held down, but soon, relaxed completely, returning her kiss, and thinking of nothing else. He tried to hug her, but she held him down so tightly, all he could do was bend his elbows enough to touch the backs of her arms. He groaned with pleasure and she cooed, making a sound that sent chills up his spine.

Tobey even forgot his head hurt. "Um Dream Sue, that certainly felt like you meant it – would you do it one more time so I can be sure?"

Sue smiled as she started kissing him again.

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]

A cold pair of eyes watched Sue and Tobey through the window. Four stories up, a figure crouched on a scaffolding that the window washer's had left vacant during their break.

"Dammit, little Sue Yi – you witch! I won't let you work your magic on him. Tobey IS MINE!"

May swung down on a rope to a ledge, and ran along it until she came to an open window. She kicked the screen in and landed in the room with an elderly couple.

The husband was recovering from heart surgery. The wife screamed and the old man grabbed his chest. Alarms, screeching ringing sirens and loud beeps flooded the hallways. Nurses and doctors started running toward the room.

No one paid any attention to May as she ran out and down the hall. "I'll get you, Sue Yi!"

[[[[[[[[*]s]t]a]r]]]]]]]]]]]]  
end 


End file.
